Callista Lightning Bolt
by Princesswolfhunter
Summary: What if Raiden truly believed that Rose couldn't conceive a child. What if he decided to adopt a child with her. Hey, name is Callista Lightning Bolt. I was adopted by my new parents at the age of 6. This is my life story with dad and what goes around us. Also, I have a younger brother that is 9 years younger than me and is biologically my parent's kid.
1. Chapter 1: The Waking

? POV:

"How is she, Doktor?" I ask him.

"She is now in stable conditions. But you do know without those limbs, she is as helpless as a newborn baby. She won't be able to help you on missions anymore for right now." Doktor tells me.

I nod my head as I look at the sleeping girl, I am sitting next to. She has heavy bandages on her left shoulder and on her right knee (but he isn't able to see under her medical gown and blankets). I see some wires hook into her right arm connecting to her IV bag until she wakes up. Lastly, on her face, there is a breathing tube on her nose wrapping around her ears. While I brush my fingers against her newly dyed, long, (like down to her waist), platinum blond hair covers her ears and parts of her face.

"How long would it take to get the upgrades on her, Doktor?" I ask without taking my eye off her.

"It depends on when she will wake up. I need her awake in order to do this procedure, but the procedure itself is going to be broken into two parts. The first part will take about a half a day to get the metal bases on. The second part will take just a few minutes to get the new limbs on. Lastly, the recovery rate will take about two to three weeks for her body to get used to the new limbs. But when she wakes up from her coma, I know the both of you would want to get the field sooner. So I decided to shorten the recovery days to just eleven days." Doktor said and I nod my head, I understand what he just said to me.

"Can I have a moment with her, Doktor?" I ask him as I turn my head to him.

"Of course, you do not have to ask me. She is your daughter, after all, Raiden." He says to me.

Doktor leaves the room to give me privacy and I turn my head back to my daughter. I grab her right hand (because remember she lost her left arm in the battle, they were just in). I move some hair out of her face and start speaking to her, but I knew she wouldn't be able to respond to me since she didn't the last few times I tried.

"Marie, please wake up. I know you can hear me, you are stronger than this. I can't help but worry about you, your mother and little brother are worried about you too. You have been in this coma for almost two weeks now. But Doktor is telling me, your health is improving by the minute and you would be waking up..." As I said this, I felt Marie's hand squeeze mine and I gasp in shock.

Callista's POV:

'Ugh, where am I? All I hear is beeps and voices on my right side. Wait, why can I not feel my left arm and right leg?' I think to myself.

I feel two presences by me because I hear a door open and close. I then feel a cold hand grab my right hand, and feel another move my hair out of my face. A few seconds later, I hear a deep but gentle, worry, familiar voice start speaking to me.

"Marie, please wake up. I know you can hear me, you are stronger than this. I can't help but worry about you, your mother and little brother are worried about you too. You have been in a coma for almost two weeks now. But Doktor is telling me, your health is improving by the minute and you would be waking up..." The familiar voice tells me before I squeeze his hand.

I hear a surprised gasp as I tighten my hold on their hand, thinking they would let it go and leave me. I try to open my eyes. But they are too heavy like two bricks are hanging on the ends of my eyelids, and being too stubborn for me to be able to open them properly.

A few seconds later, I am able to open them up. I turn my head to my right, my sight is a little blurry, but it became clear. Clear enough to see the person is my dad, who's holding my hand and the one who's talking to me as I was asleep.

"Dad...dy, whe...re am I?...Why can…'t I feel m...y right le...g and left…arm?" I ask with a hoarse voice since I haven't been able to use it for two weeks.

Dad chuckles at my voice but then stops. He looks at my face with his calm, gentle blue eyes.

"You haven't called me that for a long time, Marie. To answer your first question, you are in Doktor's medical clinic. The second one, you were kidnapped by Liquid Snake. He tortured you to get info from you but you didn't give up any info. He first cuts off your right leg right above the knee cap. Then cuts your left arm from the shoulder down. But we got to you before he could do any more damage to you. I am so proud of you for not giving anything up, even after what he did to you." He tells me with pride in his voice, while grabbing a pitcher and a cup from the table by my bed.

As he pours the water into the cup, all the memories came pouring into my head. When he turns back around with the cup in his right hand and put his other under my head to prop up.

He sees how pale I am and assume he figures my memories came back from how white I went. He didn't say anything and while he is giving me the water, he didn't want to spill any of it on me, nor choke me. I truly didn't know how thirsty I am until the water hit the back of my throat.

After the cup is empty, he moves it away from my lips and places it back on the table. I then remember, "Daddy where is Grandpa Snake?" I ask him.

Dad went from having a smile to a frown on his face. I knew then straight away something's wrong. A few salty tears came down rushing down my face. He sees them and tries to wipe them away before more could join them, but was too late for more were taking their place.

"Marie, Grandpa Snake and everyone else, but Boris, Kevin and Courtney turned themselves in. But Grandpa Snake has told me to tell you, he is very proud of how far you came when he first saw you. He's truly worried about you when he saw your limp form in my arms after we rescued you." He said before more tears came down my face.

Dad quickly stops talking; moves out of the chair and onto my bed. He gently lifts me up and went underneath me. I shift to my right side and hide my face in his chest. He tries to comfort me but knew I want to be in my grandfather's arms. Grandpa Snake and I have a very close bond just like how he and dad did when dad was younger.

Raiden's POV:

'I hate it when Marie starts crying, it makes me feel like I'm a horrible parent.' When I come back from my thoughts, I hear no more crying come from Marie and her breathing has become evener. I figure she tired herself out from all the crying, she did.

A few minutes later, I decide Doktor should know Marie is awake. So I slowly move to press the help button.

After I hit the button, a nurse comes rushing in. She asks me what's wrong. But I just ask her to get Doktor and to tell him it is about Marie. She nods and went to get Doktor.

"What can I help you with, Raiden?" He quietly asks when I put my finger to my mouth after he opens the door to her room.

"I wanted to let you know, Marie is awake from her coma now, but just went back to sleep from crying after finding out on what happened to her Grandfather," I tell him.

He nods his head in understanding. He moves to our right side to check up on her vitals.

While he is doing this he's telling me, he is going to do the procedure today. Since she is now awake.

"Raiden, the first part of the procedure is going to be the most painful. So I suggest you stay today and tomorrow just for the Kind's sake." He quietly tells me.

I nod my head. I then tell him, I need to call Rose to let her know Marie is awake and we're going to come home in two days. Doktor tells me, my idea would be the smart thing to do, so Rose doesn't have her worry on Marie anymore.

I let Doktor continue to check on her vitals as I slowly grab my phone. I gently move Marie, so she's laying on the bed. I quickly go into the hallway. I dial Rose's number and on the second ring, she picks up. She quickly asks me on what Marie's condition is. I tell her all the info on what just occurred and what is going to happen for the next two days.

She says John misses his big sister and wishes she is home now. I ask her to have her hand the phone to John. She immediately does. As the phone gets in John's hands, he starts a little ramble on how his big sister should be home right now. I tell him I'm going to bring her home in two days.

He became so happy, I hear crying on the other end of the phone. I knew he is super happy after hearing his big sister is going to be coming home in two days. I then ask him to hand the phone back to his mother.

Once the phone is back to Rose, she asks me to tell Marie, she wants the both of us to come back home, safe and sound. I agree with her and hung up. I open back up the door to Marie's room.

As I got through to the room and close the door, Marie is starting to wake back up from her little nap, she's in.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2: The Decision

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Recap: Once the phone was given to Rose, she asks me to tell Marie she wants the both of us to come back home, safe and sound. I agree with her and hung up. I open the door to Marie's room./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As I get into the room and close the door, Marie is starting to wake back up from her little nap./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" **********Back to Present Time**********/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Callista's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I hear a door close, after waking up, from my little crying episode on Dad's shoulder and from my little nap. I truly miss Grandpa, but the only thing to would remind me of him is a copy of his dog tag and his mother's silver locket, it contains a picture of him and his mother. I also have a copy of Dad's too, along with my own, of course. But I made two copies of my dog tag and gave one for the both of them./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm fully awake when I notice both Doktor and Dad in my room. Dad quickly moves to my left side and grabs my hand. Doktor comes to my right side. He puts his hand on my right shoulder./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So it's true, you are awake, good. I have some news for you, Kind if you would count it as good news." He tells me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What is this news, Dok?" I ask with a bit of hope in my lavender eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well with both Raiden's and your permission, I can put upgradeable limbs in the missing areas. The style just like his too." He tells me and it put more burning hope into my eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I already know Dad has given his permission, I'm going to give you mine too. I don't like being helpless like a newborn pup. I feel like I can't do anything and rely on everyone. I want to be the warrior of Justice on the battlefield and still be by Dad's side." I say to him with a straight face./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You're so much like your Vater, Kind (Child-German). I knew the both of you are in a rush. Your Vater already knows this part. Your procedure will be done in one month, today we are going to put in implants into your missing limb areas and two weeks heal time for the limbs. Then two weeks from today is when we attach the prosthetic limbs into the areas. But you have to rest for eleven days, Doktor's orders." He says./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I quickly nod and squeeze Dad's hand. Doktor looks deep into my lavender eyes and nods to my unsaid question. He looks to Dad and says, "It seems I was right, Raiden. Your Kind is wanting you to stay during the whole procedure."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad squeezes my hand twice, signaling to me he isn't going anywhere as my procedure happens. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We nod our heads and at the same time tell him, "Let's do this."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Raiden's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Doktor nods and leaves the room for a few seconds. He quickly comes back with some scrubs and a tray with a cup of giggle juice. I grab the scrubs in one hand as he then heads over to Marie. He tells her, he is going to give her some giggle juice to help her relax before the surgery. She nods and drinks the cup of giggle juice./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"After Dok grabs the plastic cup from her, he quickly tells us he is going to get a nurse to see the progress on how Marie is doing. He then puts it in the biohazard bin and leaves to get ready for the procedure. I go into the bathroom, connects to Marie's room, and change into them./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once I come out of the bathroom in the scrubs. I place my other clothes on the table in the room. Then stand by Marie's bed holding her hand. Before I could even say anything, she speaks up./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Dad, like I said before, I don't like being a helpless newborn pup. I want to be a part of the pack. I don't care what the consequences are, as long as it's for Justice it's what really matters to me. I'm your daughter, blood-related or not. I'm part of this family." She tells me with confidence in her voice and her lavender eyes have a burning passion in them too./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm proud of you and like you said blood-related or not, you're my daughter. I'm proud to call you daughter and for you to call me your father. But no matter how difficult life brings us in the future, we will get through it together like a pack." I say as I give her a hug and a kiss on her forehead./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We hear sniffles come from the right of us, we look and see a nurse in tears with a wheelchair in front of him. He wipes away tears from his eyes. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The bond between the two of you. It makes me jealous I don't have children of my own or even have a family to have a bond with. But enough crying, Callista how are you feeling. The giggle juice should be taking effect now. If so we can then start with the procedure." He says./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Marie sleepy nods to him. He then moves to her right side, removes wires from her arm and then lifts her into a wheelchair to wheel her to the surgery room. After she is secured in the wheelchair, I follow him to the surgery room. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once we get there, I quickly get a hair net, rubber gloves, and facemask. I put them on before I head into the surgery room. I gently squeeze her left shoulder to let her know I'm not leaving her. One nurse puts a heart monitor on her finger, so she can read Marie's heart during the surgery./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Third Person's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The first thing the nurses do is put an anesthesia mask on Callista's face to knock her out for the surgery and then took off her bandages. They then adjust her gown to get to her shoulder and leg. Next, they grab drapings to put around her shoulder and leg. Lastly, they put a bigger drape around the shoulder and leg to create a sterile field for Doktor to operate on. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once everything is ready for Doktor, he asks a nurse for a scalpel. The nurse gives him the scalpel and makes a cut to reopen the shoulder wound on Callista's shoulder. Second, he then asks for forceps and uses them to get rid of any leftover bones in her shoulder./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"After all the leftover bones were removed, Doktor then asks for a bone drill, a nurse hands him it and he drills into Callista's shoulder bone. He hands the drill back after making the proper size hole and then asks for the implant. Another nurse gives him the implant for the shoulder and he slides the implant in as far as he could. Then he asks for an implant chisel and hammer. He is given the proper instruments he asks for and puts the wider end of the chisel to the implant and gently hammers the implant in. He then gives the two instruments back and next asks for a needle a suture thread./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Doktor is given the needle with a proper length of the suture thread and sutures the shoulder skin closed. He then does the same process with the leg before the surgery is complete. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The surgery is a complete success and nothing happened. All we need to do now is to just get the Kind awake and to get her on some meds for the pain." Doktor says to the nurses./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Callista's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ey...bab...gi...its...tim...to wak...up." I hear a voice say to me. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I try to open my eyes but they are again too heavy for me to lift. So I do the next best thing, I slowly move my hand to let the person, who is talking to me, know I could hear them. I then feel a bigger hand grab mine and gently squeezed it. I try to open my eyes again and this time I'm able to open them slowly. But my image is still a little fuzzy to tell on anything./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hey, the surgery was a success without any complications. But you might feel a little pain here and there for a few days. Anyways we are going to have to wait for two weeks before we do the next process of the procedure." Dad says to me as I fully can see my surroundings./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I nod slowly to him, before I hear my door open, see a nurse with a tray of gentle food and with a pitcher of fresh water. She places my food tray on the table and the pitcher of water on my desk. She then heads over to me and asks how I'm feeling. I just nod to her, since I can't talk yet and also I just woke up. She also tells me, I have to be gentle for what I do for the next two weeks and if I need anything to not hesitate to press the button. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I nod to her again and the nurse heads out of my room. Dad then moves my table over and helps me eat. He also grabs the pitcher and refills my water container for me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once all of my food is gone, Dad moves my table away from my bed. When he turns back around, I look over at him and gives him 'I want cuddles' look./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Raiden's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I move the table back and when I turned back around to Marie. I see a look on her face stating she wants to cuddle. I nod my head to her and gently got beside her. I gently put my arms around her waist as she cuddles up to me as close as she could without harming herself. She then grabs my shirt and slowly falls back to sleep. I kiss her forehead and lean my head on top of hers. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This truly reminds me of the time when she was a child during her nap times. She would do the same thing like she did just now. There were a few times where I was either out of the house doing something for Rose or on a mission. Marie would wait by the door until I came back. And when I did, she waits for me to get done with what I'm doing. I would pick her up and she would instantly fall asleep in my arms. Rose understands she is defiantly my little Daddy's girl. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"But another memory comes up. It was what Marie did when she first started going on missions with me. Whenever we were on the helicopter and my godfather was with us, she would sit between us. Marie always got tired on the flights to locations we were sent to. She would lean on her grandfather and fall asleep. But I always woke her up, when we got there./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"After snapping out of my memories, I listen to Marie's even breathing. Just listening to her breathing makes me want to go to sleep myself. I start feeling my eyelids grow heavy on me and I let sleep take over. Everything becomes dark with my little girl in my arms./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"TO BE CONTINUED.../span/p 


	3. Day 2 of Procedures & Family Reunions P1

Two Weeks Later...

Raiden's POV:

"Daddy, wake up, come on old man, wake up." A female voice says to me while I feel someone shaking me wake up.

I wake up to Marie's shakes and her comment on 'old man'. She looks like she is about to have a little panic attack. I fully wake up from her facial expression and look around for the danger, but I didn't see anything dangerous in the room. When I look back to her again she quickly tells me.

"Daddy can you please carry me to the bathroom, quickly. I badly have to go." She didn't need to tell me twice, I get out of bed, she climbs onto my back and I sped walked to the restroom.

Once I get out of the restroom for her to have her privacy. While I am waiting on her to give me the okay. I hear the toilet flush and then some hopping on the other side of the door. I also heard the sink water going off and a few words in a different language. I assumed the words she said are swear words from the way her tone is.

While she is still in the restroom, Nurse Kylee comes into the room with a tray of food for Marie. She looks around the room as if she is looking for someone. She sees me and asks, "Uh, do you know where Callista is?"

Right when she asks me this, Marie opens the restroom door. She is lucky I had my back to her because I sense her having some difficulty climbing onto my back. I help her get on my back and I carry her back to her bed. Nurse Kylee didn't say anything; all she did is place the food tray on Marie's table and leave the room. I move the table closer to her bed and remove the lid from the tray for her. I then just remembered what Rose told me yesterday to tell Marie.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, your mother wants me to tell you, she wants us both to come home safe and not to push yourself for when we come home today," I tell her, while she is eating her breakfast.

Callista's POV:

"Oh, I forgot to mention, your mother wants me to tell you, she wants us both to come home safe and not to push yourself for when we come home today," He tells me, while I am eating my breakfast.

A few minutes later my nurse comes into my room to change out my old bandages and to take my food tray back. Once she finishes changing my bandages and takes my tray away. I ask dad if he could dial Mom's number on his phone. He does and gives me the phone. I move the phone to my ear. Around the second ring, she answers it. (Ro=Rose, C=Callista, J=John).

Ro: Hello Raiden, how is Lisa doing?

C: Hi Mom, I am doing fine for right now.

Ro: Lisa is it really you, oh my gosh it is so good to hear your voice, sweetie.

C: Same for me. I miss you, Mom and same with my little brother too.

Ro: We miss you too, something awful. But you're in luck for if you want to talk to your little brother. He just came down the stairs, do you want to talk to him?

C: I am glad, I am not the only one. And yes I want to talk to him. Could you possibly hand the phone to him, please?

Ro: (Morning my little man, I have a special someone on the phone, they really want to talk to you). I will hand the phone to him right now. I will talk to you later, okay sweetie, and I love you.

C: I Love you too Mom. And thanks.

Ro: No problem, here he is. *Hand phone to little brother*

J: Hello.

C: Good morning sleepy head, did you miss me? I miss you and I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

J: *Squeals loudly* Cal. I miss you so badly, Cal. I wish you are home right now. I miss the hugs you give me every morning when you are home and not leaving with Dad.

C: *Chuckles* I know I wish it too, but I have to finish things here. Then I can come home to give you all the hugs you want before I head back out. Anyway were you good for Mom, since Dad and I were last at home? Do remember, you are the man of the house when Dad is not there.

J: Uh huh, I remember. I have done everything that was asked of me, I even ate those gross veggies. And Cal, when you come home can you tell me stories on what you and Dad did while you guys were away, please?

C: Good and I think it is a reasonable award for you. But you know those gross veggies are healthy for you, they will help you grow taller and stronger. When I get home, you are going to have to be very careful with me. I am going to be very sore. Oh, it also reminds me, can you hand the phone back to Mom, please? I have a quick question for her. I will talk to you when I get home, okay.

J: (Momma, Cal wants to talk to you again). Alright, big sister. I Love you and please come home soon. I want to talk to you some more when you get home.

C: I love you too little brother.

J: *Hands phone back to Mom*

Ro: You wanted to talk to me, Lisa?

C: Yeah, I wanted to make sure, you prepare lots of ice bags for when Dad and I get home tomorrow. *Dad laughs and shakes his head in the background* I already know Dad told you what type of procedure it is and what is going to be happening today. *Doktor wheels a cart with a sheet over it into the room * Oh I guess the procedure is going to happen a little sooner than I expected. Doktor just came into the room with a cart. I will talk to you later, I love you, Mom.

Ro: I will make sure those ice bags come to you right away when you get home. I love you too sweetheart. Try and not break your father's hand during your procedure. Bye, sweetie.

C: Bye Mom. Also no there are promises. *Mom laughs in the background**Hangs up phone.*

"Here you go, Dad. Mom tried to make me promise her not to break your hand during this procedure, but I said to her no promises," I said while handing the phone back to him.

Raiden's POV:

While Marie is talking to her mother on the phone, I notice Doktor just getting into the room with a sheet covered cart and Marie is just finishing talking to her mother.

Once Marie closes the phone, she gives the phone to me while saying, "Here you go, Dad. Mom tried to make me promise her not to break your hand during this procedure, but I said her no promises."

I just chuckle while I put my phone back into my pants pocket. "While you were in your coma, I had taken measurements of your normal limbs and started to make upgrade limbs. Yesterday I just finished making the final details on your limbs. All I have to do is connect your nerves to the limbs and you are good to go home today." Doktor explains to Marie and me.

"Wait for what, but I thought I needed to stay here for another day." Marie questions with confusion in her eyes and voice.

"Ah, it is true but with these limbs, I have made for you, Kind, is a little bit different than your fathers. But they are still the same concept. So truly once I get them on there won't be any worse after effects." Doktor said. Both Marie and I were both speechless with this info.

Callista's POV:

"Okay then let's get these babies on. I want to see both Mom's and my little brother's reaction to Dad and I come home early." I said.

Dad gets on my right side and is already holding my hand. "Hey, Dok can you possibly do my right leg first since I know this one will hurt the most than my left arm, please," I ask him.

Dok looks up to me and smiles, "Sure, Kind."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Right after Dok takes the sheet off the cart, my eyes widen, same with Dad. The limbs almost look like his limbs for when we are on missions, but more in the style for a girl like me. I start to brace myself for the upcoming pain to my right leg.

"Holy crap, this pain is as bad as when I got kidnapped," I screamed and I'm pretty sure everyone in the building could hear my scream. But truly like I said to Mom, I made no promises on breaking Dad's hand.

I truly was a millisecond away from breaking Dad's hand. But the pain is only a single nerve is just connected. I really didn't want to know what the pain in my leg is going to feel like an end, but I grit and bared it.

So about three painful yelps later my right leg is finished. Now it is time to connect the nerves to my left arm. But when Dok connected the first nerve in my left arm I didn't even feel the pain at all. I look over to Dad with a very confused look. He has the same reaction on his face he didn't feel my hand crushing his.

Once all my nerves are connected to my new limbs. I look over to Dad and move my left arm. I grab his right hand and I move my body to the same side he is on. He kept on telling me to go slow and I listen to his advice.

I am standing on my legs in a few minutes, I give Dad a signal to move backward slowly and he did just that. I slowly move my right leg first so I can get a feel of my new limb.

At first, it was very awkward and I kept stumbling into Dad. But after a few more tries I had gotten the hang of it. So I decide to then let go of his hands and try to walk to him on my own like a baby taking its first steps for the first time. The same result happens again, I stumble but I catch myself before I could even fall to the floor. Then I figured I did enough walking for right now and walked back to my bed. Next, I wanted to practice with my new arm too.

"Hey Dad, can you move the table somewhat close to my bed so I can try and practice using my new arm, please?" I ask him.

Dad nods his head and moves the table somewhat close to me. I reach out with my left arm slowly and try to grab the table. At first, it hurt a little to move my left arm but as I continue this, the pain kept getting worse. I really tried to hide the pain on my face. Evidently, he saw the look of pain in my lavender eyes and he grabs my right shoulder.

"Hey, hey if it hurts then don't push it, okay." He said with gentleness in his voice.

Again I listen and let my left hand release the table and carefully moves it back to my side.

"So it seems the only limb working for you is your right leg. But if you keep on practicing with your left arm, a couple of minutes a day. By the eleventh day, the pain will stop hurting." Doktor suggests and I nod my head.

"Hey, Dok, can you grab a wheelchair for me to wheel Marie out," Dad asks Dok. He went into the hallway, asks Kylee to get a wheelchair for me.

"This is so going to surprise both Mom and little bro. When they find out we are coming home, today." I excitingly say to Dad with a big smile on my face. He nods his head in agreement.

Dad starts to grab all of our stuff and stuffs them into their proper gym bag. He then put our gym bags on his shoulder and hands me a blanket for me to cover my legs with, once my nurse comes back with the wheelchair. I slowly lift myself off the bed and slowly walk to the wheelchair. He walks behind me, with his arms out a little to make sure I wouldn't fall. But once I slowly sit down in the wheelchair, he puts his arms down and moves to get behind me.

As I get situated on the wheelchair and the blanket on my legs, Dad starts moving the wheelchair out of my room.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Day 2 of Procedure & Family Reunions P2

Recap: Doktor went into the hallway, asks Kylee to get a wheelchair for me.

"This is so going to surprise both Mom and little bro. When they find out we are coming home, today." I excitingly say to Dad with a big smile on my face. He nods his head in agreement.

Dad starts to grab all of our stuff and stuffs them into their proper gym bag. He then puts our gym bags on his shoulder and hands me a blanket for me to cover my legs with, once my nurse comes back with the wheelchair. I slowly lift myself off the bed and slowly walk to the wheelchair. He walks behind me, with his arms out a little to make sure I wouldn't fall. But once I slowly sit down in the wheelchair, he puts his arms down and moves to get behind me.

As I get situated on the wheelchair and the blanket on my legs, Dad starts moving the wheelchair out of my room.

**********Back to the story***********

Callista's POV:

Dad starts to wheel me out of my room and into the hallway. He then put one of his hands on my good shoulder, I put my hand over his and looks up at him with a smile on my face.

'These type of moments, with the people I love and trust the most, is the only time, I actually show emotions. For usually, I don't show emotions in front of people, I don't know and have a blank look on my face.' I think to myself.

I am so deep in my daze I didn't even feel Dad's hand come off of my shoulder, my wheelchair continues to move down a few more hallways. We then come out of Dok's clinic and almost to the car. I come out of my daze when I feel my wheelchair stop moving and he placing the bags into the back seats of the car.

Dad then wheels me to the passenger side of the car and helps me into the car. I closed the door, put my seatbelt on, while he places my wheelchair in the trunk. He gets on his side of the car and starts it up. I start feeling a little sleepy and decided a nap is a good option. So I fell asleep.

"Marie it's going to be a while until we get home. Why don't you get some rest, I will wake you up when we get there?" He asks me while driving. But he didn't get an answer back because I didn't hear him say anything and I am already asleep.

('Hey having to retrain my body to walk and grab things can really take it out of me. So don't blame it on me, blame it on Liquid Snake.' I said to the camera).

Raiden's POV:

I didn't get an answer from Marie, I quickly check on her and notice she is already asleep. I smile at her and look back to the road. I then hear ringing from the dashboard, stating there is a call. I check who it is and notice it is Boris. I answer the call immediately.

(B=Boris, K=Kevin, Co=Courtney, Ca=Callista, Ra=Raiden).

B: Raiden, how is Callista's doing? Also, do you two know when the both of you are coming back onto the battlefield? I have another mission for the both of you.

Ra: *Raises hand and made an shh motion to quiet his voice down and moves the screen onto Marie's side* Marie is doing just fine, but she needs to rest for eleven days, Doktor's orders. But I truly don't know when we are coming back onto the battlefield. *Moves the screen back onto my side* What are the details on the mission? I can tell Marie a summary of the mission to her when she wakes up.

K: *Another screen shows up with Kevin and he says quietly* Since Liquid Snake is now in jail. The VIP in an unnamed African country is requesting for the both of you to come and make a contract for VIP protection, military training, and other required duties.

Ra: We can do it and not have to directly return into combat situations like the civil war Liquid Snake caused in the first place.

Co: *One more screen pops up and shows Courtney* That is correct and it might also help with Callista's recovery, after what happened to her. I still cannot believe it happened to her. Also, Raiden do make sure to tell her we upgraded her sniper rifle for her too.

K: We added a silencer to the nose. You know how noisy it is without it. She can use it while on guard duty and has to make a quick kill for ambushes.

Ra: This is really going to help her very much. Whenever we were on missions, in the past, calling for us to sneak around somewhere. I kid you not it always has blown our cover. Causing us to have to quickly move to another area.

After I say this, I notice we're getting closer to home. I was about to wake Marie up, but she is already waking up.

Ca: Hey guys what's up. *Yawns* I haven't seen nor heard from all of you before Liquid Snake kidnapped me.

K: Good afternoon sleepy head.

Marie sticks her tongue out at Kevin's screen and smiles afterward.

Ca: Good afternoon to you too, Uncle Kevin.

Ra: I will let you know what is going on. Once we are inside the house, okay Marie.

Ca: Okay Dad. Oh look we are home. Bye Boris, Uncle Kevin, Courtney.

B, Co, K: Bye Callista/Marie. Bye Raiden. Good luck.

Ra; Bye guys. *hangs up and turns the car off*

Callista's POV:

Dad gets out of the car and walks to the trunk first to grab my wheelchair. He gets it ready and wheels it to my side of the car. I take off my seat belt and open the door. He then helps me get comfy and I put the blanket back over my legs.

Once I get situated, he walks to the back seats, opens the door and grabs our gym bags. He closes the trunk and then closes the doors we are by. He then puts both bags on his shoulders.

Dad grabs his phone and dials Mom's number. I hear her pick up and start talking to each other. He tells her to bring herself and little brother outside. He has a big, special surprise for the both of them. I quietly snicker into my hand and he smirks at me.

Rose's POV:

I'm doing the laundry and hear my phone go off. I place the clothes in my hands, back into the washer. I dry off my hands, as I walk to where my phone is. I grab it and look at the caller I.D. I notice Raiden is calling me and I immediately answer.

I start talking to him but he quickly tells me to grab John, along with myself and come outside, he has a big, special surprise for the both of us. For a second I thought the surprise for us could be Lisa coming home early, so I start getting excited. I call John to come downstairs quickly and end the call with Raiden. I went into the kitchen and grab two ice bags from the freezer.

When John quickly comes down the stairs. He asks me what's going on and why I'm in such a rush? I tell him Daddy is home and has a special surprise for the both of us. His eyes light up just like how mine did. He runs from where he is to the front door, unlocking and opening it. I'm right behind him when I hear him yell out, "Cal."

Callista's POV:

Dad ends the call with Mom and places it back into his pocket. He comes up behind me and starts wheeling me to the house.

When we got close to the front door. I start hearing two sets of footsteps running up to the door and hear the locks are being undone. Dad stops my wheelchair and I place my gym bag on the ground beside me. The door opens up really quickly and we both see my little brother, who opened the door, with Mom right behind him. "Cal." I hear bro scream out as he runs out the door. I open my arms slowly for John to jump into.

He jumps into my arms and starts crying, soaking my shirt. I slowly close my arms around him and also start crying. I hide my face into his neck. Mom calmly walks up with tears of joy in her eyes. She hugs Dad first and places the ice bags on top of my gym bag. She didn't want to make either of her kids cold while she is hugging us. Then she hugs the both of us with him joining in on the family group hug.

After we release from the family hug, with John still sitting on my lap. Mom takes notice about my whole left arm being a metal one. But she didn't even notice my right leg yet since it's still covered by the blanket. She grabs my bag with ice bags and carries it into the house, while Dad steers the wheelchair with his bag back onto his shoulder.

While on the way to the house, Dad starts telling me a quick summary of our mission we are going on, once I fully recover. After we get into the house, he wheels me into the family room. I call Mom to have her come into the family room. I place John back onto his feet, he looks up at me with confusion on his face. I just smile at him as I ask him to help me put the brakes on the wheelchair. He does help me put the brake on the left side, as I put the brakes on the right side of my wheelchair. I then take the blanket off my legs. He gets in front of me with his hands out, I slowly grab his hands and with his help slowly hoist myself up from my wheelchair.

As Mom gets into the family room, she notices I am out of the wheelchair and standing. But what she first notices is half of my right leg is missing and is replaced by a metal leg from above the knee down. She quickly put her hands over her mouth and starts crying again.

I notice Mom's eyes have tears in them. I slowly walk away from Dad and up to her. Once I get to her, I wipe her tears away with my right hand. ('I couldn't do it with my left hand because it is starting to hurt again.' I say to the camera). But evidently, it only caused her to cry even harder.

So I grab her with my good arm and pull her into a tight hug to try help calm her down. She gently wraps both of her arms around me and starts calming down a little, but Dad comes to the rescue and Mom releases me from the hug. She latches herself onto him and he moves into another room.

Once they left the room, I start getting the feeling of both of my legs shaking. I was about to fall over, but before my butt could even touched the ground, instead I landed in my wheelchair. I look behind me and see my little brother barely holding onto the handlebars to my wheelchair. I smile at him as thanks and he smiles big back.

John's POV:

I notice sis's legs are shaking. I quickly un-brake her wheelchair and move it around the room to be behind her. She falls into the wheelchair and then looks behind her. She sees me barely holding onto the handlebars on her wheelchair. She smiles at me as thanks. I smile big back at her, then she motions me to come in front of her and I did.

When I get in front of her. She slowly grabs me and places me back onto her lap. I look up at her face, all I see in her eyes are tears. I quickly place my hands under her eyes and wipe them away. She smiles at me with a thankful look on her face.

"Thanks, bro. Man, I really miss both you and Mom so much. I am so sorry, I haven't been here a whole lot for the both of you." She says with a crack in her voice like she is about to cry.

"It's okay, Cal. I know both you and Dad are trying your hardest protecting us and sometimes could result in this, *points to both arm and leg*. Both Momma and I missed both you and Daddy just as much as you and he did." I say to her as I hug her around her neck with all my strength I can muster in me.

Cal did the same thing but only her right arm hugging me. Her hugs are always the best, when I am upset or just in need of one, as it is one of those kinds of days.

"Oh yeah, you owe me some stories, big sis," I tell her. She starts laughing and tells me she will tell me them when it is time for me to go to bed. I nod to this.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Chapter 5: 11 Days of Recovery Part 1

Days 1 through 3

Callista's POV:

True to my word, when it came time for my brother to go to bed, I tell him little parts about what happened with Dad and me on our missions. But I left out the gory scenes, in order for him not to get nightmares and run to my room. ('He always comes to my room because he trusts me to help get rid of the nightmares.' I said to the camera with a smirk.) There are a few times where I get him to be able to fall asleep while I am telling the stories. But when I stop talking and slowly start moving from underneath him, he would wake back up. I would then have to continue on with the story until he is then fully asleep enough for me to slowly head to my room to go to sleep. I think I forgot to change into my pj's that night.

The next night is a night I will never be able to forget. You see John is already asleep and I am starting to get a little sore but mostly tired. I made a decision to just stay in bed with him, so I shifted him around to have his head on my chest. I shift around a little to get comfortable.

After getting comfortable I place the blankets over the both of us and fell asleep with him in my arms.

In the morning, Mom went to wake us up from our slumber. She first went into my room, but when she gets there, she notices I wasn't even in my own bed. She then closes my door quietly as to not wake up John. She went back into hers and Dad's room and told him I wasn't in my room. She also tells him, my bed is still made as if I never was in bed last night.

So they both agree they will search the whole second level of the house, (it is the living quarters part of the house), but when they start the search, Dad went to John's room first. He had a gut feeling I stayed in his room last night. He guesses it was either from being too sore or just too tired to walk to my room.

Dad softly calls out to Mom from John's room. He tells her he found me. She quietly speed-walks to John's room and looks inside with him. They both have loving smiles on their faces. She thought this one of those rare moments to not forget. She grabs her phone from her pocket and takes a few pictures of me with my little bro on top.

I wake up when Dad opened the door. But I pretended to still be asleep. I hear a click sound like someone is taking pictures. I move my head to the sound, I open my lavender eyes seeing Mom with her phone in her hand and him right beside her. I look at my little brother and notice he still has his thumb in his mouth. He is also still using my chest as his pillow.

I smile at him and move my right hand to his back and left hand on his head. I didn't wake him up, good. I then slowly start moving my body up. My smile widens more when I notice with all the movement I am doing, it is not stirring him from his sleep. I look back to Mom and Dad noticing their smiles are as wide as mine. I move my right hand from my brother's back, to move the blankets off the both of us.

After I did this, I give a quick signal to Dad, stating they can leave this to me and they can leave the room. He nods, grabs her hand and quietly walks out of the room.

Once they left the room. I decided I didn't want to wake him up. So I shift him around so his head is on my left shoulder (My left arm is starting to get a little stronger than my right, for now). I grab his bed sheet and tore them off his bed. I then place him on my back and wrap the sheets around my chest to make sure he doesn't fall off my back while I'm walking around.

Once I finished with this little project. I check to see if he is still asleep but notice he started to stir. Thankfully he just shifted around a little to get comfier and places his head back on my left shoulder. I chuckle quietly and head out of his room. I move to the direction leading to the stairs.

I assume Mom and Dad were either still in their room or already downstairs. So I head down stairs and when I stepped onto the final step, was when I started heading to the kitchen. It helped figure out where I needed to go since I could smell the scent of coffee in the kitchen.

When I get into the kitchen, I notice in the room is only Dad. I quietly say to him, "Morning Dad, how did you sleep? Also, what do you think of this with John on my back?"

Dad looks at my back, his eyes widen a little, "I slept well and this is new. How did you learn to do this?" He asks in a quiet, surprised voice, but there is a little hint of pride in it too.

"I learned this trick while I was on a mission with Grandpa Snake, about two years ago. We were in a tribe, where the women did this with their little ones. To make sure that they don't get hurt, while they were out of the house or even in the house. I ask one of the local women there if she could teach me this trick. I also told her, I had a friend with a little one back home." I said with pride to him, while Mom came into the kitchen as I said this.

"Well, you better teach me this, whenever it is time for John to have his nap time. And I have things to do around the house. It could help when you two are away on missions too." Mom said while looking at my handiwork John is in.

Right about then, little bro started to wake up. We all look at him for when he finishes rubbing his eyes. He looks at all of us for a few minutes and when he finally notices he is still inside of his sheets, but on my back. He squeals with joy and hugs me around my neck. ('He loves it when I do new things to him to make him stay close to me, even when I am not there at the time.' I say to the camera in front of me).

"The reason why I ask you about your little trick, *points to John's carrier on my back* is because I was taught the same way when I first saved Sunny on the one mission. When you were younger." He said to me.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about little Sunny. I had gotten to meet her a few times when I went over to Grandpa Snake's place. When I didn't have a mission, but you did. Heck, just last year I finally got her to call me big sis for the first time. Also, I taught her how to cook very hard recipes besides the sunny-side-up, someone else taught her to make." I said with a sheepish face and wipe the back of my head, making sure my hand didn't smack John's face.

"Oh really, the next time we see her either on a mission or not. You better prove you got her to do this and not be bluffing to me." Dad says with a look, I know too well, as I nod my head.

For the rest of the day, I am playing with John with his toys and he knows I can't start running with my new leg or the prosthetic limb inside of my leg could stop working on me.

Raiden's POV:

Marie's limbs are doing quite well for her. But there are a few times, where she would wince and I know her brother notices too. He would stop whatever he is doing and run to the kitchen, grabs an ice bag, and runs back to give it to her. He is starting to grow over protective of his older sister. I smile at how the two care for each other. I know Marie would do anything for her brother just to make him happy and it's the same way with him.

"Hey, Marie, why don't you come with me to the basement for a few minutes? John, you can come with us to watch." I ask the both of them.

They both nod their heads together. John gets up first then he tries to help his sister up but I walk over and help her up. John pouts because he wanted to be the one to help his sister up. I look to him and bend down to his height.

"Hey, one of these days you will be big and strong enough to help pick up your sister without anyone's help. Don't let it get to you, okay?" I say to him and his pout transforms into a smile while nodding his head.

I chuckle and Marie does too. I put my hand on his head and ruffle his hair. All three of us walk together, but Marie is mostly leaning on me, while John is on her other side holding her ice bag in one hand and her hand in the other.

Once we get to the basement I walk Marie to a working bench in the lifting area and gently set her down. John hands her ice bag to her and she places it in the area where the pain is at on her right leg. John sits in front of Marie and the both of them look at me, waiting for what I have to say to them.

"Okay Marie, I have a little exercise for the both of us. Marie yours is going to be a little easier for you to help with your left arm. It's called Plank Press." I say to her and she nods.

"All you have to do is get into a push-up position on an exercise mat. Then I will grab some light dumbbells and place them on either side on the mat. Then you place your hands on the dumbbells and your feet are shoulder width apart. You then lift your left arm up, with your palm facing the ground, and push it forward. You push it back to your chest, then place it back on the ground. Here let me show you first." I say while demonstrating to them how to do it step-by-step.

"This should help with your shoulders, back, triceps, and your abs too. All you have to do is 5 reps of it with your left arm but with your right, you can do 10 reps or the 5 reps, it's your choice. But you have to do 2 sets of this." I say after showing it to her. She nods, as we switch positions.

Callista's POV:

I get into the starting position on the mat. Dad grabs a lite dumbbell for my left, but a little heavier one for my right. I decided to go gentle on my left arm, but I had a little trouble doing it. I almost fell over onto my left side twice, both times he had to quickly catch me before I could land on my left shoulder. But the third try, I finally had gotten it. By the time, I get to the fourth rep my arm is burning. John decided to cheer me on and he did too. With the encouragement from the both of them, I fought through and made it to the fifth rep for my left arm.

When I finish with my left arm, it is so sore, it was a little bit harder for me to do my reps with my right because of my left shoulder muscles were burning badly. I decided to do the 5 reps on my right arm so the next day I wouldn't be too sore to move it around.

After I finish the first set of plank press. My body shuts down on me causing me to fall straight down onto my chest. Dad catches and moves me into a sitting position. I smile at him as John quickly gives me a fresh ice bag. I nod in thanks to the both of them. I try moving my right arm, but cry out in pain. John quickly grabs the ice bag from my hands and places it on my left shoulder. I hiss out a little in pain from the cold hitting my hurting body part. He puts one of his hands on my back and starts to gently rub it. I lean on his shoulder and feel something moving down my cheeks.

All three of us hear running from upstairs, the opening of the door and quick steps on the stairs. Mom comes around the corner from the stairs with a look of worry on her face and asks, "What happened? I heard someone cry out in pain."

Dad continues to rub my back and John gets behind me to hold the ice bag on my shoulder. But even the slightest pressure on my left shoulder made me whimper out in pain. "Sorry big sis," John said with sorrow in his voice.

Mom looks to me and notices I have tears streaking down my cheeks. She moves to the side both John and Dad aren't occupying. She places her hands on my face and wipes my tears away on my face. I try making the tears stop but they wouldn't listen and continue pouring down.

I kept telling myself, 'why am I crying? Soldiers don't cry while on the battlefield. If they are hit, then they grit and bare it. Until the end.' I think to myself.

"Dad, do you remember the promise I made to you when you first started training me," I ask and look at him.

"Yeah, I remember. You promised no matter what even if you lose everything. You will always keep on fighting till the end." He said and I nod.

I feel my tears stop coming down. I ask Mom, Dad, and John if they could move back a little.

They do, I give my little brother the ice bag, before getting back into the plank press position and replace the lite dumbbell with the heavier one, I use it on my left arm. I grab it and start to do my reps again but with more effort than the last time. My arm is protesting against me, but like I said to Dad that day, I will keep on fighting until the very end.

"I do not care if my arm or leg will stop working on me. I will get stronger and be able to protect everyone I love and trust with my life." I grunted out.

I start feeling my left arm start burning more, but I don't quit until I had gotten both sets of reps finished.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Chapter 6: 11 Days of Recovery Part 2

Raiden's POV:

'I have never seen this type of look on Marie's face before. But I have seen a look very similar to it, the look in her eyes tells me she truly would do anything to get strong again, no matter what the cost is on her body. I understand her alot, I have the same type of look in my eyes for the same type of reason.

While Marie is doing this, I still have my eyes on her as I ask Rose if she could get a bath ready for Marie. I also ask her to stay in there to help her in any way. Rose nods to me, takes one last look at Marie, with a little pain expression in her eyes, and went to do what I ask of her.

After Marie finishes her final rep, all I see is a small puddle of both sweat and blood, coming from Marie's body, on both the floor and workout mat. Marie is panting heavily and laying on her back. I quickly went to her side and reposition her so she is sitting up, to get air smoothly into her better.

After her breathing becomes stable enough, I pick her up and look at her with a look of pride but also with a hint of worry. I tell John to quickly go up into his playroom, he doesn't need to see his sister in this position. He does as he is told with a look of worry because he is truly worried about his older sister.

'I wish I had a bond with a sibling like my son and daughter has, but I don't have a sibling to have a close bond with.' I think to myself while speed walking up the stairs.

Once I get upstairs, I quickly carry her to the second level and into the bathroom. Rose is outside the door, waiting for us. She sees Marie's condition in my arms and quickly put her hands to her mouth. I quickly get her out of her trance and get her to help me get Marie into the bathroom. She gently grabs Marie out of my arms, tells me she has it under control and then kicks me out of the bathroom.

Rose's POV:

'Oh Lisa, why did you have to go and push yourself past your body's limit?' I think to myself as I help my daughter get out of her clothes and into the tub.

She hisses how hot the water is on her hurting limbs. But then she lets the heat from the water relax her body, almost to the point where she is almost falling asleep in the water. I smile and chuckle at her for almost falling asleep in the water.

I pour water on top of her head and when I deem her hair soak enough. I ask her if she could put her back to me and she slowly does. I then grab her fruity scented shampoo and squeeze the bottle until I have enough to slather her hair. I then spread the shampoo onto both of my hands and slather up all of her hair.

She relaxes, even more, when I'm close to finishing slathering her hair. I let the shampoo settle into her hair for a little bit. I grab a bar of soap and a washcloth. I soak the washcloth and then rub the soap on it. Then handing her the bar of soap and help her soap up her back, while she does the rest of her body.

Once we finish soaping her body, I pour water on her head and body. I grab Lisa's fruity scent conditioner and her brush too. I place her brush on my lap and open her conditioner bottle. I did the same thing with the conditioner like the shampoo, but this time with a smaller portion. I close the bottle and evenly spread the conditioner onto my hands.

I then put my condition covered hands into Lisa's hair to make it super soft. I wash the rest of the conditioner on my hands in the water. I grab her brush and brush out all the knots in her hair. There are a few times where I had to apologize to her for pulling on her head too hard. But I'm able to get out all the knots in her hair. I let her rinse out her hair, while I grab her some towels to dry off her hair and body.

Callista's POV:

When Mom left to go grab some towels for me, I slowly grab the plug to drain the tub. I slowly try to start getting up but I am still a little shaky. So I waited for her to come back into the bathroom with the towels.

Once she comes back into the bathroom, she helps me get up and out of the tub. I grab the bigger towel to dry off my body, while I let her dry off my hair with the smaller one.

I wrap my towel around my body, while she finishes drying my hair. She helps me slowly walk out of the bathroom and to my room. It took a while, but we were able to get there. She places me onto my bed and left my room to grab the first aid kit, which is in the restroom.

I slowly get up from my bed and to my dresser. I grab my important underclothes and my pj's too. I put my underclothes on first then my PJ shorts. I then put the tank top on, one that still shows my shoulder. But I left my left sleeve off because I didn't want to get blood on it.

Mom comes back into my room with the first aid kit. She sits down on my right side first to tend to my leg. She opens the first aid kit, grabbing the rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball. She dabs my leg but I hiss out in pain and whimpers out, "Mom please don't dab...hiss...the rubbing alcohol close...hiss...to my metal limbs. I don't want...hiss...to let my limbs...hiss...get rusted." She nods and avoids dabbing my metal limb. It still hurt when the alcohol hit the wound.

"John can you come into your sister's room quickly, please." Mom calls out to him.

"Coming Momma." I hear my little brother say back from downstairs, then his feet quickly padding on the floor and on the stairs.

I see my little brother at my door, panting a little. She pats the right side of my bed and he gets up onto the side of my bed. "Okay, all I need you to do is to make sure your sister doesn't move around, while I bandage her right leg," Mom tells him with a gentle smile on her face.

John nods his head and gently grabs my right shoulder. I tense a little when his hand gently lands on my shoulder. But I relax immediately after, to not make him think he is hurting me.

Mom grabs the medical pads first and places them around the bleeding area on my leg. Then she grabs the wrap to place around the padding on my leg.

After a few wraps around the padding, she grabs the medical tape and has John tear off two pieces of the tape. He hands the pieces for her to put on the wraps, so they stay on my leg. She gently pats my leg letting me know it is done. Then she gets up and moves to my left side to do the same thing to my arm.

My left arm is in a worse condition than my right leg, so I have him hold onto my right shoulder a little tighter. I knew this wound is going to hurt more than my leg did.

I'm right about the pain because I cried out just as the rubbing alcohol touched my skin. I hear Dad come running from downstairs and into my room. All he sees is me with tears in my eyes, John trying to get me to stop crying, and her with the rubbing alcohol. I grab John and move him to my lap. I start hugging him around his waist and my head on his neck.

Dad walks into my room and sits down in the area John once sat at. He grabs my left hand from under my right arm and hugging bro. He nods for her to continue tending to my wounds. Right when she places the rubbing alcohol cotton ball on my shoulder, I squeeze his hand and bro's waist, along with hiding my head deeper into his neck. I keep whimpering to the pain until she finishes disinfecting my wound, wrapping it in medical padding and the medical wrap to cover it.

After it's done, I'm starting to fall asleep but I keep on fighting to stay awake. "Hey, John why don't you go get your pj's on. I don't want to be alone when I go to sleep." I ask him in a whisper.

He nods his head and gently gets out of my hold and quickly leaves my room to go get change.

John's POV:

After gently leaving my sister's hold, I quickly get out of her room and into mine. I went to my drawer contending my pj's. I grab them and close my drawer. I quickly get out of my clothes and into my pj's.

When I finish getting into my pj's, I quickly went into my sister and I's shared bathroom to brush my teeth. I grab my blue toothbrush and my toothpaste. I put my toothpaste on my toothbrush and put it into my mouth. I brush my teeth until all of them were completely clean. I spit out the used toothpaste and wiped away any on my face.

After checking in the mirror for any on my face, but didn't see any. So I quickly leave the bathroom and into my sister's room. I notice she is already under her covers. I quietly get onto her bed and under her covers. I snuggle into her for warmth and feel her wrap her arms around my small body. I start to feel sleepy from the warmth my sister is giving off and had a hard time trying to keep them open. But I let my eyes completely closed and went to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7: 11 Days of Recovery Part 3

_Time skip to day eleven brought to you by Dante finding out that Nero is his nephew._

Callista's POV:

It's my last day of recovery, tomorrow Dad and I are going on the new mission given to us on my first day of recovery. I'm right now in my room packing some comfy clothes, I can change into when I'm off duty. My hair is still a little soaked from the bath I got out of a few minutes ago.

I have all my important comfy clothes and my underclothes on my bed. I went into my closet to grab my camouflage gym bag to put all my clothes and other important girl things in.

Right after I finish packing my gym bag, Dad knocks on my door, telling me, Mom has finished making lunch. I thank him for the heads up and leaves my door. I put my bag by the nightstand and walk out of my room to little bro's playroom.

Once I get to his playroom, he notices me and stops playing with his toys. I tell him it is lunch time and a smile comes onto his face. He runs to me and I get down to my knees with my arms wide open for him to jump into. He jumps into my arms with his smile still on his face.

I close my arms around him and raspberries his neck. He squeals in happiness and wraps his little arms around my neck. I get up, shift him so he is sitting on my hip with my metal arm under his butt and my right under his armpit. We walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I place John in his booster seat and I sit down right beside him at the table. Mom places our plates in front of us, it contains a meat and cheese sandwich, a few scoops of baby carrots, and a few scoops of fruit salad. John has milk as his drink, but I have water as my drink because I always need to stay hydrated. (Dad's orders always before a mission). She then sits down in front of us with her own plate and water as her drink too.

Once John and I are both done eating lunch, I get up from my seat, grab a paper towel by the sink and wet it in the sink. Then I ring it out, but still, have a little water left in it. I turn around and walk back to bro to wipe his face. His face has a lot of crumbs somehow staying on his face after he finishes eating his sandwich, but he also had fruit juice on his face too.

Even as I gently wipe his face, he makes a face causing both Mom and me to chuckle. I finish wiping his face and he smiles at me. I smile back, while I stack the plates. I first walk to the trashcan to throw away the dirty paper towel and then I place the plates in the sink. I walk back over to the table, grab him and place him on my hip again. I walk out of the kitchen and notice him gripping my shirt a little tighter. Also, he has a little distant look in his eyes but I didn't bother him on what he is thinking.

John's POV:

'I don't want my big sister and Daddy to leave us again. I want them to stay here with me and Mom.' I think in my head with a distant look in my eyes.

I didn't feel big sis grab me and place me on her hip. But I did notice she is walking back upstairs, but I don't know what room we are going to.

'I wonder if she is taking us to my playroom. I want to play with her.' I think to myself again.

I notice I was right about the room we're going to. I feel her place me on my feet again. I grab her hand making her stay in my playroom and play with me. I start walking over to my toys but when I look back to her. I notice she has a smile on her face, but I see some tears in her eyes too.

I let her hand go and put my arms up silently telling her I want a hug from her. She bends down, I quickly latch onto her, giving her a big bear hug to try and help stop her tears from coming. Her head is on my shoulder and a few of her tears on my shirt. A few minutes later, I have a feeling my big bear hug is working because her crying has stopped. I move away from her a little to see her face, I still see some tears in her eyes, but I wipe them away. She smiles and kisses my forehead, in which causes me to smile back at her.

"Thanks, little bro, I don't know what caused my tears to come. It might be the fact, Dad and I are heading out for our mission tomorrow. But it might also be, I'm going to miss both you and Mom." She says to me while hugging me again.

Callista's POV:

I feel him hug me with his head in the crook of my neck. I chuckle a little and he releases me. He goes over to his toys and starts playing with them. But he didn't notice I left his playroom.

I went back downstairs and into the garage. Half of the garage is my workshop and the other half is a normal garage. About two days ago, I came up with a little project for myself on my new leg limb. I figure if Dad and I are going into a VIP protection mission. Then it is going to involve with having to chase villains away from the client. I knew my running is going to be a little harder than before...you know.

Flashback to two days ago...

So I am eating breakfast when an idea came to mind. I quickly finish eating breakfast and call out to Dad, if he could come into the garage with me. I grab my phone, it can digitally pop out video calls. When the both of us get to the garage, I had him dial Doktor's number on my phone. When his face digitally comes out from my phone, he sees both Dad and I in our garage. He asks me on how my new limbs are doing and I tell him they are doing fine.

"Doktor, I need your help on this project I want to work on, but you will have to tell the both of us on how to do it. For I want to put wheels underneath my metal leg and my combat boot." I ask him while getting out my tools and extra metal.

"Of course, but it will take a while for all of us to complete this little project of yours, Callista." He tells both Dad and me.

"We know it will take a while, but I'm planning on doing an all-niter for two days to do this project. But I think we can complete the metal leg part in one and a half days. Then we can finish the other half of the project on the other half of the day. But if we can't finish the other half of the project in the amount of time, then we can always have my last day of recovery to finish it." I said to him while also grabbing my old roller blades from the place, I last left them.

After I grab my old roller blades and place them on the table. I then grab my required tools to help me take both of my skate's wheels off of their axles. I then place my right leg on the table. I ask Doktor if he could turn off my pain inhibitor in my leg in order for my project to be complete. He does as I ask and with the help of both Dad and Doktor, I'm able to make the connections detach my metal part of my leg from my tissue part of my leg.

Since my metal limb is off of my body, I will be able to work on it properly.

I'm able to get a button on the inside of my heel. Then I had to cut three holes into my foot, two on the pad of my foot and one under the heel of my foot.

For those two straight days, Mom has come into the garage to mainly give me food and water. For the bathroom situation, I would have her help me get to and from the bathroom. But it wasn't frequently, about only two or three times during the day, but only one or two times during the night with Dad.

Anyway, we were able to finish the first part of the project in a day and a half. I'm then able to put on my new and improved metal limb. I even pressed the hidden button to see if the wheels could pop out. The wheels did pop out without any difficulties at all. So I then hit the button again and the wheel's pop back in. The second part of the project is almost complete too, I just need to do some final touches on the new sole of my combat boot, which is still at the base.

End of Flashback. Back to Present Time

I went to my worktable to do a little checking to see if the wheels would come out for when I press the hidden button, on the mirror spot as my metal limb. The wheels did what my metal limb did but when they were supposed to come back in they didn't. I grab my proper tools for this. I then check a few things and notice some of the wirings are a little incomplete. So I grab my pliers and fix the wiring to it.

I press the button twice and both times the wheels came out then back in smoothly. A huge smile comes onto my face. I then gently grab it and place it in a bag to not let it break while on the trip to base.

I then grab it and look for my container of metal polish, it is both water (fresh and salt) and sweat proof, for my arm mainly but I have to also put it on my leg after taking baths. I found my container by my tool box and grab it, along with a polish rag that came with it. I get out of the garage to look for Dad because Mom doesn't want to get this on her hands unless it is body oil.

Raiden's POV:

"Dad, where are you? I need your help with polishing my metal limbs." I hear Marie call out.

"I'm in my room, Marie. Come in for when you get to my door." I say back to her.

I hear footsteps coming up the stairs and into the hallway. The footsteps first went to Marie's room and heard a small thump. Then the footsteps are getting closer to Rose and I's shared bedroom then the doorknob twists and opens. She comes into the room with her metal polish in one hand and her rag in the other.

I patted a spot for her sit on my bed and she comes over to sit in the spot. She hands me the rag first and then the container. I grab both things and rub some polish onto the rag. Then I had her move her hair out of the way and sit with her back to me.

After her back is to me, I then put the rag against the back of her left shoulder and start to rub the polish in. I got the back of her arm too, so she doesn't have to do it later.

After getting all the parts she couldn't make on her own. I give back both items to her, she then places both items down on the bed and I see a smile on her face. I ask her why she is smiling, but when I look into her eyes. I see her eyes are glossy. I grab her, place her on my lap and gently hug her to my chest.

After Marie feels me gently hugging her to my chest, I hear whimpers start coming from her and feel her arms tighten around my torso. I also tighten my hold around her lower back. She mumbles something into the crook of my neck, but I didn't understand what she had said to me.

"What did you say, Marie? Try taking a deep breath before trying to say something again." I advise her in her ear.

She nods her head against my neck. I hear a few deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. Then I feel her move a little away from my hold on her.

"What I said was, I don't want to leave Mom and John to go on the mission, but I want to see Boris, Uncle Kevin, and Courtney. I don't know what to do anymore. Ugh, I'm starting to sound like an emotional person and I hate it!" She says to me with fresh tears in her eyes.

I embrace her again, with my hold a little tighter than the last one. She wraps her arms tightly around my mid-back and hid her head into the crook of my neck again. I hear someone coming up the stairs and open the door to the room. I see Rose with a laundry basket in her arms.

Rose's POV:

'That is the last of the laundry. I just need to wait on the washer to finish the load in it and then put it into the dryer.' I think to myself while folding the last item from in the dryer.

I grab the big, blue basket full of freshly folded, clean clothes and get out of the laundry room. I hear John laughing in the family room, where I last place/see him at. I then start to head up the stairs to put the basket in Raiden and I's shared bedroom.

When I get to the middle of the stairs, I can faintly hear crying, but I didn't know where it is coming from. I follow the sound and leads me to Raiden's and my room. I adjust the basket to sit on my hip for me to grab the handle and open the door.

After opening the door, I notice Raiden is holding Lisa like as if she is crying. I see him look up to see it is me who opened the door. I look over to her and notice her shoulders are shaking. The sound got me to finally notice she is the one who is crying.

I place the basket by the bed and walk up to them. I look to her and then to him. I mouth, 'What's going on.' His eyes told me, ' I will tell you later!' I nod to let him know I won't push it further.

I put my hand on Lisa's upper back, close to her shoulder blades, and start rubbing her back. She continues to cry for a few more minutes. But is slowly starting to calm down.

I gently pull her away from her father, to see her face. I notice her eyes are super puffy, red, and her cheeks have tear streaks. I pull her off of her father's lap and into the bathroom, apart of Raiden and I's bedroom. I clean her face with the water from the sink and got her a washcloth to help also.

After she is done washing her face, I gently grab her hand and lead her back to her father, who quickly changes his shirt to get comfy again. She hugs him again but didn't break down this time, which is a positive sign.

She let her father go and then hugs me as thanks. I, of course, hug her back.

"I guess the cork on that bottle couldn't withstand any more additional pressure and popped open." She says while looking at the both of us.

We both nod to her. She then leaves the room with her oil container and rag, telling us she wants to spend the rest of her day with her little brother before heading out for their mission tomorrow.

"So what happened with Lisa, making her break down like that, Raiden?" I ask him with a little serious look on my face.

"She is having a hard time trying to decide on what to do. She wants to stay with you and John but going to miss Boris, Kevin, and Courtney. She also wants to go on the mission but is going to miss the both of you. She hates to feel like an emotional person." He says with a sigh.

I too sigh, while rubbing my head. 'I disagree on how Raiden trained our daughter to stop showing her emotions. Like I get the fact showing emotions on missions is a weakness to the enemy, but she has been this way even before he agreed to train her. Oh man, what am I going to do with her?' I think to myself.

Callista's POV:

Even before I could get to the stairs, I could hear my little brother's laugh and the TV a little too loud. I just shake my head and go to my room putting my oil container and oil stained rag into my bag, I'm taking with me back to base with Dad tomorrow.

After packing those two items into my bag, I quickly get out of my room, down the hallway, and down the stairs. While on the way down the stairs, I hear my brother start laughing loud again.

"Hey bro, what are you watching?" I ask him when I get behind him.

"Dragon Tales and the show playing right now is very funny." He giggles out.

I pick him up from the couch, sit down in the spot he was just sitting, and put him on my lap. I feel more comfortable with him on my lap or at least close to me. I look down at him and smile. But I grab the remote and turn the volume down a little.

"Hey John did I ever tell you, I use to watch this show around your age!" I said to him with a gentle smirk on my face.

"Really, that is so cool, Cal." He said with sparkles in his eyes.

We continue to watch Dragon Tales and a few others until John falls asleep on me. How I notice, he starts getting quieter and is snuggling more into my chest. I change his position on my lap, so the side of his face is on my chest and his legs are on the couch. Mom and Dad come down to see me watching TV, but hear no loud laughing from John. They come into the family room seeing him asleep on me while I'm watching TV.

"I don't mind John sleeping on me. I feel at home with him either sitting on my lap or somewhere close in the room but still in my eyesight." I whisper to my parents.

They nod and Mom gets a blanket for us. She then puts in on him to keep him warm.

"He did miss today's nap time. He is probably waiting for his big sister to be with him, I guess." Mom says to me. I nod because I did the same thing with Dad when they first brought me home.

I then felt a yawn coming and slowly move my hand to cover my mouth.

"I guess he isn't the only one starting to feel sleepy, huh Marie," Dad says while Mom chuckles quietly.

I just nod to him and move the blankets off of John. I gently reposition him, so his legs are on either side of my hips and his head is still on my chest. I slowly get up and walk to the stairs.

"Night Mom, Dad. I will see you in the morning. Oh, Dad can you make sure you wake me up because I'm not setting my alarm. Also, I'm having John stay in my room tonight since this is my last night to be with my little brother before going on the mission with you tomorrow." I quietly said to both Dad and Mom.

"Alright, night Marie/Lisa. I will make sure I will wake you up in the morning." Dad and Mom said to me while I'm already a fourth up the stairs.

I go into John's room first, change him out of his clothes and into his pj's. Then I pick him back up and went into my room. I gently place him on my bed and went to my dresser to grab one of my few pj's, which isn't coming to base with me. I quickly change into them and gently get into bed. I grab him and put him in the same position like on the first night.

Time Skip to the next morning.

"..rie, Marie, it's time to wake up." I hear a quiet voice.

I don't feel John on top of me and start freaking out alittle. I snap my eyes open and quickly sit up. I look on my bed and see he isn't even in my room anymore.

"Woah, Marie, easy. I gently moved him into his room. He is still asleep." Dad said while putting his hand on my shoulder.

I sigh in relief and gave Dad a hand motion to get out of my room. He gets out and I quickly change into the outfit I had chosen the day before. I grab my bag and head out of my room. I quickly go into bro's room and kiss his forehead. I mumble goodbyes to him and head out.

I quietly head down and see Mom still in her pj's. I smile and she does too. I place my bag down and bear hug her with her doing the same to me. We let go and I grab my bag again.

"Take care of yourself Lisa and make sure you don't get injured again like last time." She says to me and I laugh quietly.

"No promises Mom," I said to her with my tongue sticking out at her. She quietly laughs and shakes her head.

I quietly laugh too and start heading out to put my bag into the car. I see Dad lean against his side of the car and when I get a little closer to him, he moves his head to my direction.

"About time you came out." He said teasing me.

I laugh and walk to the passenger side. I open the back door and put my bag on the seat. I closed and open the passenger door. Both of us get into the car and buckle up. He starts the car.

"Marie if you still feel a little tired, you can fall back asleep for you know it is going to be a while to get back to base," Dad suggests.

I nod my head and open the glove compartment to grab a spare pillow I put in there. I put it on the car door and rest my head on it while Dad starts driving to base.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. 3 Years & The 1st 2 Enemies Show

_Time Skip 3 Years Later..._

Callista's POV:

Dad, Courtney, two android bodyguards, the prime minister, his adviser, and I are driving around the city.

"Three years. We've come so far in just three short years..." Prime minister says while he is looking out the window he is sitting by.

"A sign of a strong leader, sir." His adviser says to him, making the prime minister look away from his window and to him.

"No... the will of a strong people" Prime minister counters back.

I look out the window, seeing the people doing everyday things and a few kids playing soccer on the street.

"And one very able adviser." He says with pride in his voice to him, making me look away from the window and at him.

"Thank you, sir." Adviser says back to him while adjusting his glasses on his face.

"Your team deserves credit as well... Mr. and Miss. Lightning Bolt." Prime minister says to both of us while he is looking at us.

Dad and I take our sunglasses off. He shows off his blue eyes and I show my lavender eyes to the prime minister.

"Just doing our job, Mr. Prime Minister." Dad says and I nod with him.

"I must admit, I once thought of groups like yours as opportunists- enablers of war. But both of you have trained our new army well-order has returned sooner than expected. Perhaps I was wrong about these 'private military companies'..." He says I smirk at him

"We prefer 'private security providers' sir." I said before Dad could, in my monotone voice.

He nods and says, "Most of Maverick's contracts do focus on security." I nod agreeing with Dad.

"Yes, well, "security" can mean many things..." He says while I look behind me to see two tanks in front of the limo all of us are in.

Dad and I put our sunglasses back on, while I say in my professional voice, "There's a saying we both like." He continues on with the saying, "One sword keeps another in the sheath. Sometimes, the threat of violence alone is a deterrent sometimes, by taking a life, others can be preserved." We then finish the saying together with no emotion in our voice, "It's the code of the samurai lived by..." I look down at his sword case after we say this.

"Mm... Soldiers and Philosophers. You both full of surprises, Mr. and Miss Lightning Bolt. Also the fact that the both of you can finish each other's sentences. (A/N: I wanted to say sandwiches)."Prime minister says to the both of us.

"I could say the same about you, Mr. Prime Minister." Dad says. Then he looks out the window and unconsciously grabs my hand.

The limo slams on its brakes hard, Dad had to release my hand and grab my shoulder, so I wouldn't fall out of my seat. I nod my thanks to him and he nods back.

"What is happening?" The Advisor asks Courtney.

"Someone's blocking the lead vehicle... Hold on." Courtney answers the advisor's question.

?'s POV

"Clear the road! This is official state business!" A soldier in the tank in front of me yells out.

I just move my hand above my head and continue walking. I stop walking, grab my sword with a red blade and pull it out of its sheath. My sword is cover in red lightning all over it and I move it around as if looking at it as if for the first time.

"I said, clear the road!" The soldier says again.

'I am starting to not like him.' I think to myself and start walking again.

"We're authorized to use force if you do n-." The soldier starts to say, but I cut him off by running at him. He starts shooting at me, but I kept dodging the bullets and have my sword in the ready position to start swinging.

I jump into the air with the soldier following my movement with his bullets and tries to shoot me down. But I swing my sword blocking the bullets and then cutting both the gun and man in half. I cut the bloody corpse two more times before it could hit the ground in front of the tank.

Two more tanks came close and stop. The back ends opens up letting out more soldiers with their guns in their hands.

Callista's POV:

"Leopard one! U-turn! Turning back!" I hear Courtney say to the driver.

The driver shifts the gears and does what Courtney tells him to do, along with the tank behind us turning to be in front of us.

?"s POV:

I hear the soldiers moving around behind me and stop once they get into the position, I assume they're ordered to go into. I get up from my crouch position. I move my sword to my left side flinging off the blood on it. I turn my head to the soldiers and give them a creepy smile at them.

"Open fire!" Another soldier yells out.

Callista's POV:

"Who was that!" The adviser yells out.

"A cyborg..." Dad says.

"A samurai cyborg, Raiden," I said to him but ignores what I said as does everyone else in the limo.

"One of our competitors?" Says the bodyguard sitting beside me.

"Courtney! What is happening?" I hear Boris say from her tablet.

"We got hit, sir. A cyborg." Courtney answers him.

I look in front of me and sees the samurai cyborg start cutting up more soldiers. I then hear Courtney start pressing buttons on her tablet.

"XIFF comes up "unaffiliated."' Courtney says with confusion.

"I'll notify all checkpoints. Get N'mani out of there!" Boris says to Courtney and the rest of us.

"Yes, sir." Courtney replies for all of us.

In the top corner of my eye, I see a cyborg, on top of a roof, with a bazooka and is aiming at the area between the tank and us. "Brace for impact you guys," I call out to everyone in the limo.

The cyborg shoots the rocket and it explodes in the area I predicted it would land. The driver stops the limo and the tank swerves to the side a little but stops also. Then the back of the tank opens it hatch, letting more soldiers out from inside of it.

But the cyborg on the roof jumps and lands on the top of the tank, killing the shooter. Another one comes out of nowhere and lands on the ground, killing the soldiers on the ground already out of the tank.

Then a truck, with a blockade attach to the back of it, blockades the front area we are in. The driver shifts gears for the limo to go in reverse.

"We are going to die..." The adviser says. I just roll my eyes but keep my thoughts to myself.

"Stay calm." The prime minister says and I nod in agreement.

Another truck gets behind us and blockades our way, causing the driver to stop the limo from hitting it. Then shifts the gears again into drive, moving the limo to the left side. The limo swerves to the side, when close to a smaller plastic blockade and then moves forward again. But he is forced to stop the limo again because there are three cyborgs in front of us.

"He's got friend's! On our twelve!" Courtney says.

"Raiden, Lavender-eyed!" Boris says to us.

I look at Dad, he looks at me and we both nod in agreement. Courtney looks behind her at us.

"We're on it. Guard the prime minister.' Raiden says while we take off our sunglasses. I grab my guitar case holding my baby. (A/N: If any of you get this reference you are more awesome than Prussia).

Raiden opens the door, grabs his case, gets out along with me. We both grab our suits and toss them into the air. He shows off his cyborg body, I show off my outfit for missions but with the right pant leg and left sleeve cut off, to show off my new limbs.

We both look at the enemies. Raiden holds up his case, hitting a button on the top to open the bottom of his case to release his sword from it. While I unzip my case to unsheath my baby, I put my case back on my back because it is a gift Grandpa Snake gave me, it can actually hold the weight and longer guns than my baby.

Raiden grabs his sword and throws the case behind him. While the limo drives away from this area. He then unsheathes the sword and blue lightning coming off of it, cuts the wall beside us to make the crates fall behind us. He did this to block the enemies from being able to get to the prime minister.

"Let's get this over with, right my Lavender-eyed shadow," Raiden says to me while spinning his sword around his wrist clockwise. I nod to him in agreement.

He then gets into a fighting position and his solution radar comes over his left eye. I get into my firing position, which is just getting down on one knee, and my solution radar comes over my left eye too. I quickly take off my silencer and pocketing it in my one of many pockets. I look through my scope with my right eye for it is my sharper one.

I make the first move by shooting at the enemy, on the right of us, in the brain. Raiden runs at the enemy to the left of us. The middle one tries to get to him, while his back is to him but I shoot him in the heart before he could cause damage to him.

"Raiden, Lavender-eyed, the limo is in trouble! Get back there ASAP! I'll add the limo to your solution radars!" Boris says to us.

I hit my hidden buttons on my heels to make my roller blades come out and skate to the area the radar says the limo is at. Raiden is running right beside me. We see another set of enemies come at us but he cuts two of them down with his sword. I shoot the last one and the second one he tries to cut but didn't explode like the others.

"If you can't cut through the barricade, try the fence, huh?" Boris suggests to us through our communicator and it is what did, I just followed after him.

I grab my iPod really quick put in one ear bud and connect it to my communicator, so the others can hear it too. Scroll through my songs and chose the perfect song but didn't hit the play button yet for it is not the right moment yet.

Body guard #1's POV:

I dodge a swing coming at me and then I swing my blade at the enemy, slicing the enemy in half. My partner does the same thing. Then the both of us hear something moving in the water. When we look over, we see there is a huge hill forming from in the water. Then a huge prototype metal gear comes out of the water.

It lands right in front of us and opens its mouth. It releases out a loud roar at us while charging up its plasma cannon from where the cockpit is supposed to be at.

Once it releases its laser; we both dodge the attack but the building behind us gets hit. The limo is tossed onto its back by the air pressure from the blast the metal gear shot out. When we look at the building all we see is the middle of the building is missing.

Then it roars again. The prime minister gets his senses back again from the limo tossing onto its roof.

My partner tries to get to the prime minister to help him out, but he notices someone is coming at him. He tries to brace for an attack but both of his arms are cut off and then got cut two more times before he hit the ground. Once he hit the ground, he went offline.

I ran at the guy and try to hit him from behind, but he blocks it with his own blade. Then he turns around to face me and tries to swing at me but I bent backward to dodge the swing. I try to hit him again but he blocks it and spins to his right cutting off my right arm holding my blade. He then attaches his left to his right arm and spins around on his left, attacking in the front and attaching both blades to either side of my neck. I use one of my hands to try and open the blades for me to get out of the hold so I too don't offline like my partner.

I try to move back but I am stuck in the position, grunting out in pain. But the blades are getting tighter making me yell out in pain and causing the man in front of me to start laughing sadistically.

The last thing he does to me is pulling me forward a little and then close his blades completely. The last thing I see is red everywhere then the words protection: program execution onto my screen, then the screen becomes clear again. But I fall over and go offline.

3rd POV:

The prime minister tries to crawl out of the toss over limo but felt a hand on his ankle and a rough tug. The kidnapper is standing on the limo holding him upside down. Then he passes out and the kidnapper lifts him further up so he is over his right metal gear shoulder.

Raiden's POV:

Up ahead I see a man on top of the tossed limo onto the roof with the prime minister on his right shoulder.

"Stop!" Both Callista and I yell out to him.

Once we get close enough but still have some distance from the kidnapper, we stop. Well, Marie slid to a stop right beside me. We both are panting a bit. The kidnapper turns around and looks at me first then at Marie but a little longer than with me.

"Ha... So you're Jack and the Lavender-eyed Shadow." The kidnapper says to us.

"What do you want with the prime minister?" Marie questions him with no emotion showing both in her voice and face.

"I want him... dead," He says and looks at the prime minister, "Nothing personal, 'course. Africa's just gettin' a bit too peaceful." He continues to say while looking around.

"What?" Both of us say.

"Business ain't been the same since they shut down SOP. A clean break from the war economy." Huh. Well some of us liked that economy. How's an honest warmonger suppose to make a living?" He says while passing on the limo.

"This is your answer?" I said, in which causes the kidnapper in front of us to start laughing for a few seconds.

The kidnapper grabs his sword and about half way I yell, "Don't do it!"

"Don't worry now, I won't," He looks at the prime minister then back to us saying, "not while he's still useful."

I frown at him and both of us growls at him. "So long..." The kidnapper says while using the limo as a springboard to get to a close by building's roof.

Our radar comes back over our left eyes and we start running into the building the kidnapper jumps to. But we fail to notice him makes a signal to the prototype metal gear to come in front of us. We are forced to stop, letting the kidnapper get away with the unconscious prime minister.

Callista's POV:

I grab my iPod again, hit the play button and the song "Rules of Nature" comes on. Dad and everyone hears the song come on and he just shakes his head. The metal gear in front of us starts to roar almost like signaling the start of the battle.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	9. The MG Fight & The Chase for the PM

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Recap from the last chapter: I grab my iPod again and hit the play button and the song, "Rules of Nature" comes on. Dad and everyone hears the song come on and he just shakes his head. The metal gear in front of us starts to roar, almost signaling the start of the battle./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Back to the story:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Callista's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What?! They have a Metal Gear? Here?! Raiden, Nightmare?! Take out that UMG and get after him!" Boris orders us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad goes for the metal gear, while I stay put, trying to figure out any weaknesses it could have. There are a few times where I have to dodge some missiles or raining bullets. But he would cut the missiles in half before they could explode close to me. My music automatically turns down when Boris yells out, "Son of a... They swapped out the hydraulic cutter for a plasma cannon!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The music turns back up, while I finally figured out the weaknesses on this thing. I yell out to Dad, "Raiden, the weaknesses are on its feet and face. I will get one side if you get the other." /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He nods and starts to attack the ankle on his side. I then crouch into my shooting position, change my bullets to armor piercing ones and shoot at the other leg. But we still have to dodge the raining bullets and missiles coming at us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad is able to rid the armor on his side and orders me to shoot at his instead of the one I'm already shooting. My answer is me changing targets and shooting at the newly exposed leg./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"About fifteen minutes later, he is able to get rid of the other leg's armor. I decided to shoot at the machine gun part on the exposed leg from Dad and it explodes. He does the same on the other leg. I then decide to start shooting at the machine gun on the right shoulder. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"About twenty minutes later we are able to get the metal gear weak enough. So weak it makes a last minute decision to swing its right arm directly at me, thinking I am the weaker one than Dad. But he ninja ran to me in time to block the attack./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He is able to push the blade away, but a few seconds later it swings again this time swiping sideways at us. He grabs the blade, making it look like he is hugging it, and electric streaks comes out of his body while he throws the metal gear up into the air./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He follows after it by high jumping, grabs his sword and cuts the blade while running across it. 'I can't do anything without feeling like I'm getting in his way.' I think to myself while he jumps about two feet into the air once he is close enough to the shoulder and cleanly cut the blade away from the body. Along with the earlier cut pieces falling to ground too./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As the pieces fall, he lands on the ground. I run straight to him and stood by his side. He moves his sword to the bend of his elbow to clean off his blade and places it back into its sheath./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He takes a look at me, looking up and down for any injuries on me, and asks, "You okay. Got hit anywhere, Nightmare?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm fine, Raiden. I made sure I was staying away from the areas being constantly being shot at by missiles, bullets, and plasma cannons too." I say with a little sass in my voice but a smirk comes onto my face./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He nods as okay but gives a stern look at me. My music turns down again, "He is on the other side of that collapsed building! Go!" Boris says through our earpiece. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I grab my iPod from my pocket and turn my music off since the battle is done. I put it back into my pocket and look up at Dad. We nod together and run to catch up with the kidnapper holding the prime minister hostage. We go through a split on a building, up some makeshift stairs and through an opening on the other side. We see him by a drop to a sewage area. We follow after him dodging big cement blocks, going in between cement floor and pipe, destroy cement and diving under metal doors. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once we pass all this destruction, we see the kidnapper jump over another area, we would have to go through. Dad grabs his sword, cuts through some metal gates in order for us to get through and continue to follow after him. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We jump up some metal makeshift stairs and run up two sets of normal stairs, leading us to a roof. But once we get on the roof. Missiles are raining down, in the area in front of the building we are on, to prevent us from further pursuing the kidnapper. We both look in the direction from where the missiles are coming from. I see the metal gear we just beat come back, lands in front of us and it looks ready for round two. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That dam UG! It still works?!" Boris says with surprise in his voice./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This time the only weakness it gives us is its head. I start shooting at its main eye trying to keep its focus on me than on Dad. But when he makes the first swipe at it, is when it took its eyes off me and onto him. It sometimes liked to throw its head at us, but would get it stuck in the ground. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"About thirty or more swipes to the bottom jaw, Dad is able to get the armor off it and completely destroy the rest of the machine gun on its left shoulder. The metal gear jumps back and shoots out missiles from the back of its neck. I shoot the missiles, from a far distance, before he could get to them. Then it jumps back to us. It gets its head stuck again on the side of the building beside us. It took him about two hits before it jerks its head back and into the air./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Finish this B#?$!% off!" Boris tells us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The metal gear starts rapidly shoot missiles from its left arm. Dad ninja jumps on them to it. Once he reaches his target, he cleanly cuts the arm off the shoulder./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"After the final missile explodes I run to the edge of the building and jump down. While in midair, I hit the buttons on my heels making the wheels to shift out. As I land on the ground, I feel a weird yet painful sensation on my new metal limb. But I just ignore it and skate quickly to Dad./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once I get to him, the metal gear wasn't finished with us yet because it grabs us, but he stabs his blade into its lower jaw. In which causes us to go flying into a building, which so happens to be a clock tower. We both slam into the building but no big damage happens to us. We just shake off the feeling and run, but more like skating for me, down the clock tower./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Once we get to the head of it. I'm already skating down its body. He stabs it deep, and follows right after me, cutting it in half. I use the tail as a ramp and went flying. As I'm flying in the air, I do a few back freestyle flips and land on my wheels. (A/N: Reference to Cloud from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, when he defeated the behemoth and was landing on the metal pillar. Also just look at 3:28 on this video below. It is the move Callista does and same with the landing too.)/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"About a fourth way down the tail, Dad jumps off it and lands close to me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He sheaths his blade and the metal gear splits on either side behind us. We both look on our radars and see the kidnapper has gotten further ahead of us. I'm skating faster with him right behind me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"While we are doing this, the kidnapper is running somewhere in town but is forced to stop because a tank comes in front of him. He looks to his left, then his right, all he sees are two soldiers on either side of him. He faces them with his back to the tank. He smiles and looks to his left seeing a train going by. He jumps backward over the tank and onto the train./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The h$#l!" A soldier says./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Raiden's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"When we get to the last location the kidnapper is at, we see there are a few soldiers and a tank. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Dam It!" I said/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"While getting in between the soldiers, Marie is able to get in front of me, but has to slow down while turning the corner. When I get to the corner, I slam my hand down and skid my feet to the side to do a full turn. We continue running/skating; I look up to my right, seeing the exact same train we need to get on. I look left and see a perfect jumping spot on a building to get to the train. I had a feeling Marie saw me looking on the building and jumps on my back like she knew what I am about to do next./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"After jumping on my back, I clip my arms under her knees, jumping to the side of the building and run across it. When we get close enough, I jump off the building and land on the last train car. Marie gets off my back, hitting her heels together to re-track her wheels before her feet hit the floor. I get up and hear Boris tell us, "He is heading for the front of the train! After him!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Callista, Raiden, an unidentified tilt-rotor is headed your way. Keep an eye out for it." Boris warns us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We jump from car to car, dodging objects along the way. About four train cars later, we see the kidnapper, the prime minister and the cyborg from earlier./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We stop running and we both say, "Prime minister"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The cyborg, who is sitting on a crate, has his right ankle over his left leg, looking away from us. The kidnapper has his back to us. The prime minister has both of his arms chained above him./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A few seconds later, the kidnapper looks behind at us and smiles./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Huh... Too little, too late, heroes. I won't be needing my little shield here any longer." He says to us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He quickly put the flat side of his blade to the prime minister's neck and lifts his head up. He then quickly shifts the blade to the cutting edge, "Stop!" I yell putting my arm up. Marie's still behind me putting her hand on top of my bicep like she would do when Rose and I first brought her home, but with her sitting on my hip and her smaller hand on my bicep./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He cuts about a half of an inch deep of flesh under the prime minister's chin, using all of the length of his blade to cut him. In which makes him grunt out and gurgle on either his saliva or his own blood./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Then grabs his neck, "What about all the good things war has done for us? Why don't we ever hear speeches about that? Jobs, technology, a common purpose..." He said while further lifting the prime minister up./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The cyborg closer to us just yawns like he is bored./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Raiden,...Lavender-Eyed...Forget me. Stop him." The prime minister chokes out to us. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I give a surprised face but my hair covers my eyes, so the enemy couldn't see the upper part of my face. The kidnapper releases his hold on the prime minister, grabs the back of his head and tells him, "you ain't listenin'..."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He cuts the chains off of the prime minister's wrists and he falls forward, landing on his chest. The kidnapper looks down and walks around him. The prime minister holds onto his neck trying to stop the bleeding and tries to reach out to the both of us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We try to run to help him, but the samurai cyborg in front of us swings his blade to stop us from getting close to him. I block it with Marie behind me. He pushes his sword forward causing me to stumble back a little into her./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He tries to swing again but Marie moves to the right and I back flip into a crouch position. He swings his blade down to his side, while I get into a fighting position. She quickly moves to my side and get into her firing position again./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Callista's POV:/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Mind if I cut in?" The samurai asks./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I look behind his shoulder to the kidnapper with the prime minister. He is holding him by the back of his head again, the prime minister is still holding his neck to try to stop the bleeding./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""All we're saying is... give war a chance!" He calmly says then increases the volume in his voice. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He stabs him through the spine and out the chest. Blood gets a little on our faces, but we don't care about it being on us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No!" Dad and I say at the same time./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad is in complete shock and it shows on his face; me, I have a completely murderous look on my face, one I would only give to my enemies who have angered me past my normal limit./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The prime minister's killer then moves the corpse, which is still on his sword, to the right side of the train and pulls his blade out of minister's body. Which causes the minister to lean forward, fall off the train and tumble to a stop on the ground. We look behind us at the minister and then back to the enemy in front of us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The killer then jumps onto the crate behind him and Dad has his murderous look in his eyes. My look gets even darker than I ever thought I could make. Then a tilt-rotor flies right above him, the same one Boris warn us about. The samurai wipes the blood off of his body with an annoyed look and sighs then looks back at his comrade./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The tilt-rotor opens a door and a metal cable, with a handle on the end of it, comes down and the killer laughs. The samurai then moves in front of us, blocking our path. Dad runs at him with the intent to kill, telling him, "out of our way!" Instead of answering him, he swings at him./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad blocks the attack but it pushes him out of the way. Causing him to slide back a little. Then the killer is able to get his foot onto the handle and hand onto the metal cable. Telling the samurai, "they're all yours, Sam." While being flown away./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"'So his name is Sam.' I think to myself, while Sam gets himself into a fighting position. "Let's go." He tells us but when he looks at me, I caught the fact my new deadly stare is making him have a shiver go down his back./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I smirk knowing my stare is scaring him. Dad doesn't see it and I'm grateful because I don't want him to freak out about it. I grab my iPod, change the song to a new one and increase the volume but not too loud to not be able to hear others speak. The song is called, 'A Soul Can't Be Cut.' I then put it back into my pocket to get ready for battle./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad goes at Sam swinging first. I get down to a crouch position on my knees, look through my scope to align the perfect shot. But when I have the perfect line up to shoot and fire it, Sam dodges my bullet while blocking his swings./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hahaha... That all you've both got? Self-taught or taught... and not half-bad. Still..." Dad tries to front flip over Sam, but he hits him further away. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He is able to stop himself by cutting the ceiling. I go after the both of them and while still trying to land a hit on Sam. But he keeps dodging my shots. Sam hits Dad off the ceiling causing him to land on the car and roll. While he lands in a crouch position. I take the opportunity to fire at him again, but when I pulled the trigger, I hear a click sound. I check all of my pockets for more ammo magazines and notice I'm all out of magazines. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It is when I remembered Uncle Kevin telling Dad they did some upgrades to my baby, while I'm sleeping in the car on the way home. One of them is an additional hidden sword underneath the barrel of my rifle. I hit the hidden button on my rifle, causing the hidden blade to come out./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"So I click my heels together making my wheels come out again. I quickly skate my way and try swiping at him, but he heard me coming because he turns around quickly blocking my attack. He moves his blade forward against mine, causing me to be pushed back. I slide back a little but quickly able to get my bearings back./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"While I'm attacking him some more, I'm able to move him behind me and my back to Dad. He looks at the both of us and continues what he is saying, "Both your techniques are missing something..."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He attacks me but I see Dad coming at us in my peripheral vision. I try moving out of his way but Sam knicks me, not deep enough, only close to the end of my right eyebrow all the way to my chin. Then Sam blocks his attack. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now I see. You deny your weapon its purpose. But you girl, the weapon of yours isn't your true weapon of choice. You lack the ability to shoot it properly, but you're swinging ability with the blade attachment could improve a lot." Sam says to us. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad stops what he is doing and gaps at him. Sam smirks and pushes the two blades away from each other. Slamming the holder of the blade to his face. Then swinging it to make him bend down a little to dodge the attack. I try to get between the both of them but Sam cuts his face over the left eye, slicing both the radar in half and his left eye./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad flips back landing into a crouch position. I run at Sam again, trying to get him but he dodges it, making me run past him. He then swings his sword cutting through my radius and ulna on my left arm. (A/N: It's the two bones on the arm below the elbow but above the wrist)./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sam then looks past me and at Dad, saying, "It yearns to bathe in the blood of your enemies, but you hold it back or haven't even found it yet." /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I backward step to Dad, never taking my eyes off of Sam. I put my baby back onto my back and hold my wound. I made it back to Dad and crouch down to his level. He holds his face wound to try to stop the blood from leaving. "No...My sword and Lavender eye's gun is a tool of justice." He says to him and I decide to stay out of the argument between the two men. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sam growls at him, swinging his blade randomly in front of himself. Then he changes his hand grip on his sword handle to have the blade facing down at the train car, stabbing the train car, running at us, building up the flames. When he gets close enough to us, he swings upward. We are able to dodge his attack, I no-hand backflip a few times, landing onto another train car with the explosion in front of us. Sam then jumps through the flames and attacks Dad./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sam then attacks a few more times until I notice he put his sword back into the sheath. I try to warn Dad but it is too late. He tries to get at him one more time but Sam shot out his sword into his dominant hand. I try to quickly run in front of him to take the brunt of the hit but it was already too late, Sam has cut his left arm off./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad gives a shocked face, but my face went back to a deadly look, while Sam laughs at us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Crap! Not again..." Dad says. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sam looks at the both of us with his samurai sword on his right shoulder./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Raiden, Nightmare! Are you alright?! You both are almost clear of the tunnel! Just hang on!" Boris says to us. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""This is all the Ripper and Shadow has to offer?" He taunts us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"'Crap, I'm starting to feel light-headed from all the blood loss. Ugh come on Callista, you are not called the Lavender-eyed Nightmare for nothing, come on body hold on for just a little longer. But wait did he call me Shadow. I never told him about that name.' I think to myself./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Again a weird yet painful sensation come from my metal leg part, but this time I feel more pain go into it. I bite my lower lip to stop myself from screaming out in pain and not let the look of pain come to my eyes too./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Gotta try harder than that." He taunts Dad after he weakly swings at him. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"But when Sam hits him one more time, it causes Dad to hit me and the both of us to roll to the edge of the last train car of the train./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It almost causes the both of us to fall off but we catch ourselves. The both of us hold onto the edge of the car and pull ourselves up from the edge. But we only get up to our chests, before he is in front of us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""This is what happens when you both bring tools to a sword fight. It's over." He tells us while putting up his blade over his head and is about to give us the final blow but like Boris said we have come out of the tunnel./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Lucky devils... *and continues to laugh*." he says while laughing./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's more like lucky devil and she-devil." I rhetorically mumble under my breath, but Dad still heard and laughs quietly to himself./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"In my peripheral vision Boris and four tanks, on the side road close to the train, comes to our rescue. He moves the machine gun to try and hit Sam with bullets, but he blocks them with his sword moving away from us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Kept you waiting, ah?" Boris says in a smart-butt way. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"While all the shooters in the other tanks are firing at Sam. Another tilt-rotor comes to pick him up. Both Dad and I are able to use this distraction to get both of our bodies back onto the train car. Sam just stares at our bloody, beaten bodies and just like his comrade, a metal cable comes down from the tilt-rotor. But instead of waiting for it to fully come down, he jumps to it midway. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Boris is then given a rocket launcher with a homing missile from within the tank. He locks onto the tilt-rotor Sam is on and says, "down you go."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He shoots it and the other soldiers in the other tanks do too, but the tilt-rotor sends out red lights. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Flares." He says with shock. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"All the launched rockets hit the flares. Exploding on contact and letting the tilt-rotor to get ahead. Boris is given another rocket launcher but when he is about to lock onto it, it got away causing him to swear in his head./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dad and I are panting from what just happened a few minutes ago. He sees the tilt-rotor isn't blown up by our teammates and squeezes his only hand into a fist. I look at his hand and move to put mine on top of his using my elbow to support me. He looks at me and sees tears in my eyes. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"'Why am I crying? Maybe because I almost lost Dad to the enemy again. Maybe it is just the pain. I don't know anymore..." I thought to myself but I go unconscious from blood loss. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I fall over with Dad unconscious beside me. This all happens and the train is still moving along./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"To be continued.../span/p 


	10. 3 Week Break to Recover & New Projects

Recap from last chapter: 'Why am I crying? Maybe because I almost lost Dad to the enemy again. Maybe it is just the pain. I do not know anymore..." I thought to myself but I go unconscious from blood loss.

I fall over with Dad unconscious beside me. This all happens and the train is still moving along.

***************Back to present time***************

Doktor's POV:

I am working on new designs on the upgrades Kevin, Courtney, and I came up with. I'm going to have Callista look at and help us improve on any flaws on it. But I get interrupted by a call from Boris and immediately answer it. His face pops onto my computer screen. (B= Boris and D= Doktor).

D: "What can I do for you...?" I start to say but Boris interrupts me.

B: "Can you get two rooms ready quickly. It's Raiden and Nightmare, they're injured." He says.

I now notice both Raiden and Callista behind him, who are breathing heavy along with bloody bandages on their body and faces.

D: "Okay, I will get two rooms ready immediately! Along with getting some new limbs for the both of them. All you have to do is wheel them in, Boris." I say to him.

He nods to me. We say goodbye to each other and me telling him to hurry up. Right after his face goes off my screen. I run out of my office and have three nurses help me get two rooms immediately ready for both Raiden and Callista as they get here.

Right, when we finish getting the second room done is when Boris brings in both of them. I instruct the soldiers who wheels in Callista to follow one of the nurses, who helped me get the second room done. Then I instruct the other soldiers to follow me. I tell Boris, he can leave and will know when they are ready to go back into the battlefield. He nods and leaves.

Right before the nurse, who is assigned to Callista, leaves to make sure her wounds are clean, I instruct her to not cut her clothes off of her. But to still put her in a hospital gown. The nurse follows my instructions while I grab the rail of Raiden's gurney and move it to the other room.

Once Raiden gets into his room, I make sure a nurse is at his side making him comfortable as possible. While the nurse is doing this, I run back to my office to grab the cart, containing his new upgrade limbs.

All I have to do is uncover the cart and speed walk to his room. What I notice for when I came back into his room, he has a deep cut on his left eye.

'I do not know if I would be able to fix the area of his face in the amount of time I have to fix them. And still be able to get them back onto the field.' I think to myself while starting to work on getting all the new body limbs together.

What is actually different about these new limbs, they are new upgrades I have been working on while Callista was in her little coma and why I hid the file from Raiden before he got into my office. I was able to finish working on his during Callista's eleven-day recovery and work on the designs on Callista's new upgrades with Kevin and Courtney.

Then I take his head off of his old body and plug his head into his new one. I left his hair the same because I knew Callista is going to do something about it. Then I put his new headgear on his head. I take off his chin and replace it with a new metal one.

After I finish, I disassembling the old body and put them onto the cart. I then have the nurse take care of his eye wound on his face. 'If Raiden is not unconscious, I think he would be telling me to not change anything, but instead, put a pad and cloth to hide some of the wound on his face.' I think to myself.

While the nurse is taking care of Raiden's face wound, I leave the room and go to Callista's to see how she is doing now. I see the nurse I assigned for Callista, comes out of her room. I walk up to her, she hears my footsteps on the floor and looks my way.

"How is Callista doing Nurse Kylie?" I ask her.

"She is doing fine now, she is in stable conditions. But while moving her off the stretcher and onto her bed, I heard a rattling sound come from her leg limb, you just recently put on her. I think she might have broken the limb, but her left arm is cut off the body completely and is in need of a spare now." She tells me and I nod in agreement. I then ask her to attach both a blood bag and IV into Callista so she doesn't die from both dehydration and blood loss.

She nods in agreement and I thank her. I speed walk to my office, again. I grab a spare left arm, with the correct measurements to her opposite arm, and speed walks back to her room.

Once I get into the room, I get a proper up-close sight of the damage on her limbs. What Nurse Kylie said is a precisely accurate to what happens to the limbs. The upper left arm is still gushing liquid out of it. I quickly get to her left side, remove what is left of the limb, and quickly replace it with the spare one, I brought with me.

After putting on the spare, I notice Callista has a wound on her face too. Exact same area as her Vater's but a little longer than his.

'She is most definitely going to get a scar on her face, but if she is anything like her Vater. She will want to keep the scar instead of keeping a flawless face.' I think to myself and chuckle at the thought too.

I inform Nurse Kylie, who is going to be Callista's permanent nurse for the next three weeks, all she needs to do is to make sure Callista doesn't get an infection in the wound on her face. She nods to me as a signal she understands. I nod back and walk back over to Callista's bed. I move to the right side of the bed to take care of her right limb. I detach her right leg from the rest of her body. Again just like the diagnosis, Nurse Kylie told me, I hear many things in the limb rattling around on the inside. (A/N: The concept is like this for if you have baby rattle in your hand and shake it. All the little noises made from the rattle are what the noise is in Callista's metal leg.)

After doing this, I leave Callista's room with both limbs in my arms and head to my office. While on my way to my office, I keep wondering to myself about how Callista is able to make her metal leg into a baby's rattle.

'Maybe it is because of the metal gear they went up against or those two cyborgs who got away and made both of them into the condition they are in now. Who knows only God may know.' I think to myself and notice I'm already at my office. I open my door and place the limb on my desk to do an autopsy on it later.

"All I have to do now is to put the final touches on the blueprints of Callista's metal limbs, while I wait for the both of them to wake up," I say to myself.

******************Time Skip: 12 hours later******************

"Doktor, it's both Callista and Raiden. They're awake and Callista is panicking like crazy." A nurse tells me while both out of breath and flustered.

I get up from my desk and run out of my office. I start heading to Callista's room first because it's not healthy for her to have a panic attack while in the condition she is currently in. Just down the hall I hear screams coming from her room. But I also hear someone calling out her name from in another room. As I continue heading to her room, I hear someone running from the opposite direction I am heading with heavier footfalls.

I knew straight away, it's her vater coming to her rescue to calm her down from her panic attack in order for her health to not get any worse than it already is in. But once I finally get to Callista's room, I see her door is wide open. When I look into the room, I see Raiden is already at her side, trying to calm her down.

A few minutes later, he's able to get her to stop screaming and calmed down. He removes his arms from around her; moves her a little over in order for him to get behind her. I knew hugging her from behind in arms she is very familiar with would help calm her down even more than from the side. I should know this because Raiden always does this when she first joined the missions with him and Snake.

Once behind his daughter. He puts her on top of his chest with his arms around her waist and starts to sway her back and forth. Whispering comforting words in her ears to help calm her further down to get her into a better state for her health.

After the whole panic attack is taken care of. Raiden decides he is going to stay in the position, in order to prevent another panic attack from happening again. I agreed with him and we both notice she is going back to sleep. I slowly come up to Callista's right side to check her vitals and to see if her panic attack has re-opened any of her wounds. But good news is none of the wounds have reopened.

*************Timeskip to when she woke up*************

Callista's POV:

"Ugh, what happened, where am I, where is Daddy?" I say still a little groggy, but then the memories of what happened before I went unconscious hit me like a locomotive. I quickly get up, but really regret moving my body because it felt like it was hit by an armored tank. When I move back to lay back down, I feel arms around my waist and my back lying on a muscular chest. I almost go into another panic attack, until I hear a familiar voice, instantly calming me back down.

"Whoa, easy there Marie. Don't want you having another panic attack on us and we for sure do not want your wounds to reopen back up again." Dad says to me.

I move my head to the side and look over my left side. I see Dad is hugging me and I'm leaning against. I look down on my left side and see Doktor has put a spare limb on me. I am able to tell it is one of the spares, remembering my limb on my last mission was cut in half. But what makes me happier, I see my right leg limb is off because it hurt more than it did when they attached it to my flesh. There is another voice, brought me out of my thoughts; Doktor is on my right side, checking my vitals again.

"It is good to see you are awake now, Kind. I was getting a little worried on both you and your vater after noticing the both of you are not doing so well out on the battlefield." He tells us.

I cuddle closer to Dad; he notices this and grabs my normal hand as comfort since I can't feel anything with my left since it is a pop off type limb. Doktor looks up from my vital sheets and asks me, "Kind, I have something for you to look at. While you were sleeping and were recovering from your last set of wounds, I have been working on blueprints for your new upgrade limbs. I know they might interest you a lot. Do you care to look at them?"

"Heck yeah, Doktor! I want to see what it is, you know me too well!" I say with excitement in my voice.

Both Dad and Doktor chuckle at my excitement. He lets go of my left hand, moving out to grab my movable table and wheel it close to my bed. While he went to grab the papers from his office.

Raiden's POV:

I have now completely calmed down from the panic attack Marie has given me when she was screaming bloody murder. I move the table over Marie's waist and then let the table go. We get comfortable while waiting on Doktor to come back from his office with the blueprints on her new upgrade limbs.

"Hey Marie, how are you feeling sweetheart? Besides the fact of your last two metal limbs..." I ask her.

"I feel fine, Dad. But I feel a little more vulnerable to the injury to the right side of my face because I cannot see anything on that side." She says to me with sadness in her voice.

"I think I know a technique for you to be able to see out of your right eye without Doktor putting in a limb into the area. But I do not know if this technique is going to work or not. I just hope it can work because then I'll be able to do the same thing, since I have the same injury in the same area but not as huge as yours." I tell her.

"It could be very useful indeed, Dad. I want to be able to trick our enemy into thinking they have the advantage over me being 'blind'. But truly with this technique, me being 'blind' on my right side could be my advantage against them, when we head back out onto the battlefield." She says while squeezing my left hand in excitement.

Then we both hear the door open and close. We see Dok is back with the blueprints in his hands.

Callista's POV:

I see the blueprints in his hands and I do the 'give me' movement to hand the blueprints over. Doktor complies and hands them over to me. While also giving me a pencil, for just in case if I need to make any corrections. I place it on the table with my water jug to hold down one of the sides and Dad holds down on the other side.

"Thanks, Dad!" I quickly say, while starting to concentrate on the blueprints in front of me.

I don't hear his response because I have quickly gotten to business on looking at the blueprints. I first look at the prints for my new right leg and see the same type of designs from my old limb, but some new enhancements on it. Which includes the rollerblades on the bottom. I do not see any mistakes on this print, so I move onto the other prints for my new left arm.

When I look at these prints I notice right off the bat a few mistakes. But these mistakes are not hard to fix, so I quickly change the mistakes to suit my standard. But easy enough for Dok to be able to create with.

Once I finish doing all the corrections, I give Dad a signal to let his hand go from the prints. After he let the prints go, I roll them back up and give them back to Dok.

Right after he takes the prints, he unrolls them to see all the changes I did to them. He nods in agreement to all the corrections.

"These are brilliant, mein kind. I wouldn't have ever thought of this before, your input is always the best. Danke, kind." He says to me.

I nod as a welcome because I am starting to feel tired again. My body is still trying to recover from all the damage it has received from the last mission.

3rd Person POV:

Raiden notices his daughter is getting tired because whenever she is super tired she would cuddle closer to anything she is close to. Another way how he could tell she is becoming tired, she turns onto her right side so her head is lying in the area where his heart would have been. But he also knew her body is still trying to recover from all the battle wounds she has sustained from their last mission. Doktor also notices Callista is falling asleep and nods to him as a good night and left the room with the blueprints in hand.

Raiden too starts to feel the tiredness come at him at a speed of a train, he couldn't stay awake any longer. But truly it didn't help with the fact from all the activities, just recently has happened in the past three hours. With him being so tired, he didn't really fight it and just holds Callista closer to his body.

************Time Skip to four days later************

Callista's POV:

Dad is wheeling me in my annoying wheelchair down to Doktor's office to help him completely finish my new upgrade limbs, and if we are able to finish them before bed time, then I will be able to get my nerves connected to the new limbs the very night.

We finally get to Doktor's office and we both already see he is working on my new metal arm. Dad wheels me up to the bed in there and helps me get situated on it, in order for me to be able to work on my upgrade leg on the moveable table. While working on my leg, I notice the same problem I had with the skates on my first leg limb. But I made sure there isn't going to be another mistake in the part between the knee and the ankle like it did last time. I am able to complete the part and now onto the rollerblade part of the foot.

I am so focused on trying to figure out the problem, I didn't even see Doktor looking up from what he is doing with my metal arm, and walks over to the bed to see what my problem is with my metal leg. I feel a hand on my shoulder, I look up at the owner of the hand and see Doktor wanting to help me with my little problem.

All Doktor did was point where the problem is on the metal limb, he could see. I look at the area he points to and smacks my forehead with my flesh hand. I am dumb enough to not keep my head clear enough to be able to see the problem on the limb. I then grab the proper tools to properly fix it. I decided to recheck the same areas of the leg to see if anything changes come undone. There is a few, but was able to fix them without any more problems coming up in the rest of the body of my leg.

Once finished, I notice Doktor has also finished my arm at the same time. So we then decide to get the two limbs attach to my body of missing limbs. I shift my body, so the top part of my body is lying on the head of the bed, with my right leg can get properly attach to the nerves from the flesh to the metal. Dad stays on my right side of the bed because he knew the pain is going to be awful for me.

Right when Dok get into position, I grab Dad's hand like I did the first time to help prep myself for the pain to come. They both count to three. Then heard two click sounds at the same time and a whimper from me. This happens about three more times before it is completely done. Dok then moves onto my left arm.

After Dok finish re-nerving my left arm on. And once the pain finally passes, I breathe out the breath I didn't know was holding, Dad helps me up and moves to the edge of the bed. Then slowly get off the bed. When my feet hit the floor and take my first steps with my new upgrade limbs. I immediately notice no pain coming from these limbs and decide to just walk normal.

Both Dad and I notice, when we get into the hallway, the color scheme on our new upgrades are similar to each other. So we walk back to my room with no trouble at all.

As we get back to my recovery room, I slowly sit on the floor. I ask him if he wants to do a friendly exercising competition to see who can last longer with their new limbs. He agrees and lets me choose the type of exercises we should do for this competition.

I decide the first type of exercise we should do is seven different types of push-ups. We do twenty-five reps for each type of push-up. First, the normal type of push-ups, second be the left arm on our back, third the right arm on our back, fourth normal push-ups but with just our thumbs, fifth with just our right thumb, then with our left ones. Lastly, we do the clap push-up. He nods and gets Nurse Kylie into my room.

Once she comes into my room, I tell her what is happening and have her be the ref for each of the events. She agrees and tells us she is going to grab a stopwatch for if any incoming events would require it. We agree on it too. So she speeds walks to grab a stopwatch from in the rehabilitation room.

Right after she comes back, we start the first event of the friendly competition.

****************Time Skip an hour and a half ****************

It now has been an hour and a half, neither of us is showing signs of giving in. I'm sweating bullets but doesn't affect the adhesive on the bandages on my right side of my face. But Dad, the lucky SOB, doesn't have any sweat glands to produce any sweat.

After all, seven different types of push-ups are complete; we both have our arms exhausted. But I finished the last four parts of the first event before he could. I win the first event of the competition. I then decide our next activity would just require our legs. I figured we can do wall sits and after every ten minutes, we would lift one of our legs onto the other without getting up to do it, then having to go back into position.

I tell both Nurse Kylie and Dad what the next event is. Nurse Kylie is very proud of herself for getting the stopwatch before this whole thing even began. So we get into different areas of my room, in order for both of us would have enough room to do the event and so one of us doesn't try to cheat by knocking the other over.

Once we are ready, Nurse Kylie gives us the signal and we start the wall sitting competition.

****************Time Skip forty minutes later****************

It has now been forty minutes into the competition and true to what I said, at exactly every ten minutes Nurse Kylie would give us the signal for us to change legs.

*****Time Skip twenty minutes later (A/N: I know it's too many of them, I am sorry)*****

It officially now been an hour since we began the second event of the friendly competition and I am already feeling the burn sensation in both of my thighs. But I wait for another half of an hour before I call quits.

After I call quits, I ask Dad for when we get up to see which one of us is still standing after a few minutes. But if neither of us falls from this event, then we can do endless amounts of laps in the hallway outside of my room.

Dad agrees to it, we both get up and wait two minutes. After the two minutes past, neither of us are getting weak in the knees nor falling over, but my legs were a little shaky. But other than my legs shaky, the winner of this event is him, since I called quits first before he did. So then all three of us go into the hallway. Nurse Kylie quickly tells us, she's going to go ask the other nurses if they can move awake patients out of their rooms in order to make the route for this last event for our friendly competition.

We agree and wait on Nurse Kylie to get all the nurses and the patients ready for this last event. So while we wait for the event to get ready. I get water in my system. I grab my water jug from my table and nearly drank all the water in it.

Once I get my fill on water, I still had about a fourth left in it. Dad grabs my jug from me and refills it for me. As he comes back with my refill jug, he gives it to me, I thank him and I place it back on my table. We then decide to stretch our limbs to get them ready for the last event.

About fifteen minutes later, Nurse Kylie comes back telling us the course is complete. So we both get to the starting line. We notice the number of patients in the hallway and we smile at them. Doktor comes in front of us to start the race off. He gives us the signal and we are off.

**************Time Skip about twenty-five laps later**************

Raiden's POV:

We are both on our twenty-fifth lap and still side by side. I am proud of my little girl for making it as far as she has right now. But starts to notice, she is starting to get tired and I am too. So I try to make it for another two more laps, but later notice Marie is still fighting on. I stop after my second lap, but my little girl went one more lap before we both call it quits. Everyone in the hall starts to whoop and holler when they see Marie has done one more lap than me. She came out victorious in our friendly competition.

"Dad, I think I am not going to be able to move around at all tomorrow. My body is going to be too sore from all the exercise we did today." She says to me after she is able to calm her breathing down.

I just chuckle but I still agree with her. Doktor then walks up to us and congratulates Marie on winning, but still congratulates me for how far I made it in the friendly competition. Then a nurse and Nurse Kylie came up to Marie and me, and help us to our rooms. But right before we completely leave each other's presence, I wish Marie a good night and her to me.

Callista's POV:

'I cannot believe I have finally beaten Dad in a friendly competition. I say this because I have never been able to defeat him in a friendly competition my whole life.' I think to myself as Nurse Kylie helps me get back into my room.

"Mrs. Kylie could you um, help me with washing my hair. I don't think my arms are going to let me be able to reach after all the exercising Dad and I just did." I ask her.

She nods and smiles at me like a mother would with her own child. We both make it back to my room and she places me on my bed. I tell her where my gym bag is, which containing two of my spare outfits, two different sets of pajamas, two or three sets of underwear, and my toiletries. I ask her to grab my navy blue set of pj's, my white set of underwear, and my toiletries. She grabs them and places them under her armpit. Then she grabs my flesh arm, put it over her shoulder and helps me walk into my connecting bathroom.

Once we get into the bathroom, she puts my clothes on the bottom part of the sink, toiletries on the top part of the sink and me on the toilet. She grabs my shampoo, conditioner, places them in my shower and turns on the shower to the right temperature for me to take a bath in.

After the water is at the right temperature, she helps me out of my sweaty workout clothes I was wearing during the friendly competition, and into the shower.

Once I'm in the shower, I get my hair soaked. Nurse Kylie went back out to grab two towels for me, one for my body and the other for my hair. As she is doing this I bent down to grab my vanilla scent soap.

As I am soaping up my body, I hear the bathroom door open and close. I look to see her with the towels in her hands. She places the towels on the toilet seat and grabs my fruit scent shampoo. She opens the cap and squeezes the right amount of shampoo onto her hand. She then rubs her hands with my shampoo, then reaches up into my hair to lather it in my shampoo.

After she finishes lathering up my hair in shampoo, I too finish lathering up my body with soap. So I then get under the water and Mrs. Kylie helps me get all the shampoo out of my hair, as the soap is getting wash off at the same time.

We both finish washing off the shampoo and soap. Mrs. Kylie then grabs my conditioner and did the same thing as she did with my shampoo. Like my mother, she didn't put too much conditioner in her hand, also grabbing my hair brush too. She rubs her hands and lathers up my hair in conditioner.

Once she finishes lathering up my hair in conditioner, she grabs my hairbrush and starts brushing to make my hair soft. It took a few minutes for her to finish brushing, but as she finishes, she lets me go under the water again and helps get all the conditioner out of it. Then once she sees my hair is conditioner free, she turns off the shower.

She helps me get out of the shower, grabs the body towel, handing me the towel and grabs the hair towel. I turn around for her to get to my hair as I start drying off my body.

I finish drying off my body before Mrs. Kylie even finishes with my hair. So I grab my pjs and put them on. I ask her if she could wait until I get my pj's on to finish drying my hair. She agrees, telling me to meet her at the bed and I agree.

After my pj's are on, I brush my teeth, grab my hairbrush and slowly get out of the bathroom. I slowly walk to my bed and sit down in front of my nurse. She finishes drying my hair and starts to brush it again. After a few minutes of her brushing my hair, I had her put it up in a loose ponytail for me.

Once all this is done she then helps me get comfortable on my bed and leaves my room. As she closes my door, I immediately fall asleep.

************Time Skip to last week before going back out on the field************

Also in that week, I asked Doktor if I can get my hair recolored. He asks what color and I just tell him to get the color as close to Dad's hair color as possible. He nods and orders a box for me. I thank him and had to wait two days for it.

Once the hair coloring box came, I quickly re-dyed my hair and roots back to it's platinum blonde shade. While I am letting it soak into my hair. I head over to Dad's room and helped him fix his hair to a style that matches his new look. After finishing up his hair, I quickly go back to my room and rinse all the excessive coloring from my head. Also giving my head a wash too.

While all this was happening Dad and I continue working to stay in shape. He is also teaching me to be able to psychically see out of my right eye. But just last week Dok has given me a new custom made sword similar to Dad's sword, but it is shaped like a rapier. Right after the sword is given to me, Dad started training me how to properly use my rapier while in combat. Lucky for the both of us, I'm a fast learner and learned all the tricks in about a week.

So now I'm now just cleaning up my moves and incorporating my style of fighting into them. I try doing some of the moves he can do but have a feeling of not getting it just right. So I run to where Dad is to know if he is willing to help me see what I'm doing wrong.

I find Dad with Doktor, they are talking about the progress of me and my new weapon. I walk into the room and he sees me in his peripheral vision. He moves his sight to me and Dok does too. He then asks, "Marie, is there something wrong?"

I shake my head no, but tell him, "I just have this feeling of not doing a few moves right. I am wondering if both you and Doktor would like to go outside with me to see if I am truly doing wrong with the moves."

Dad and Dok both agree and all three of us head outside. They stay on the sidelines while I show them the moves.

Callista's POV in her mind:

I close my eyes to visualize an opponent I could go up against. With my eyes still shut, I did a front flip with a twist while blocking my imaginary opponent's attack. I went for an upper swipe then lower, but my opponent blocks both moves.

I would then toss up my sword and try kicking my opponent with my feet as I did a no hand back spring. The attack alone did some damage to my opponent's chin, but they're still able to stay on their feet.

After I am back on my feet, catching my sword, do two more back springs to get away from them. My opponent would then come at me from the right then to the left, but I would counter both attacks.

I would then do a few upper roundhouse kicks to my opponent's arm to make them drop their weapon. But they blocked my moves with the same arm I'm aiming at. As I continue to practice against my imaginary opponent, I use a few of Dad's moves he taught me too.

While I am doing this, Dad continues to try seeing if there are any flaws in my movements. He only notices my acrobatic moves I have incorporated might need a little tune-up. But other than, I have all the moves correct and includes the moves, he is able to do.

Raiden's POV:

"Alright Marie, that's enough!" I call out to her.

She stops what she is doing and opens her eyes back up again.

"I only see your acrobatic moves are a little bit hesitant at the beginning, but other than that, I really do not see anything wrong. So all I recommend is you practice your acrobatics. Also, try to see if you can try and incorporate anymore moves into your combos." I say to her and she nods her head in agreement.

Right before Doktor and I went back into the building. I hear the sliding of a sword going back into its sheath and then being placed on the ground. I also hear the crunching of grass under feet and assume she is now practicing her acrobatic moves. I see Doktor is waiting for me at the door and continue to walk to the building with the sounds of Marie practicing in the background.

To be continued...


	11. New Mission & On the Battlefield Again

Recap: Right before Doktor and I went back into the building. I hear the sliding of a sword going back into its sheath and then being placed on the ground. I also hear the crunching of grass under feet and assume she is now practicing her acrobatic moves. I see Doktor is waiting for me at the door and continue to walk to the building with the sounds of Marie practicing in the background.

*************Back the present*************

Callista's POV:

'It is raining outside and I am so way happy, I am inside this aircraft.' I think to myself.

Dad is in the seat beside mine. We both are heading to our next location as we speak.

Raiden's POV:

We have to lie down on our stomachs in this aircraft, 'I just hope Marie doesn't get airsick on her side of the aircraft.' I thought to myself.

"How is it, Raiden, Nightmare?" Boris asks us.

"So far so good", "Same here", "We've got a clear visual," I say then Callista adds her input too. I just smile and she does too.

"A direct feed to your optic nerve for you Raiden, and it is through your goggles for you Callista. Yes, I'd should hope so, eh? I mean...How does it feel? To fly like a bird!" Boris asks us.

"Like a bird strapped to a remote-control rocket." We both say at the same time and he just laughs at our response.

"We will give you both in safely, tovariches. Just relax and enjoy the ride." Boris tells us.

"Right." I say back and Marie just nods in agreement.

"Can you hear me Raiden, Kind?" Doktor's image comes up on the screen.

"Doktor." Marie calls out.

"Remember the two procedures to maintain your new bodies: one, seizing nano-repair units from your foes. And two—." He starts to remind us but I interrupt him by saying, "Absorbing their electrolytes." I'm then interrupted by Marie, "We got it, Doktor." She says.

"Yes, enemy cyborgs should provide plenty of MCFC electrolytes once you slice them open and... extract their fluids." Dok tells us and I see Marie's disgust face. I just smile at her again.

"They're terrorists. We were planning on that anyway." I tell him.

"Oh, and their left hands, if you please." Dok continues to tell us and we both give each other a confused face at each other.

"Excuse me?" Marie and I say at the same time again.

"Their combat data, stored on holographic memory, typically located on the left hand. That data is very valuable. Ehem...I am authorized to offer you both upgrades and services in exchange for it." Dok offers to us.

"How generous." Marie says back.

"Ich liebe Kapitalismus! Had the wall come down a few years earlier, I would have a Nobel Prize on my shelf." Doktor starts to tell us, but I notice something off in the distance.

"—There. I see land." I quickly say.

"Three miles out and closing. No activity at the air base. Looks like we don't need to worry about interceptors." Courtney tells us, while Kevin moves her coffee mug away from the edge of her desk.

"Great, then we have time for a quick briefing." Kevin says with his signature hand salute.

"I know you miss us, Uncle Kev. But we've both been all over the materials." Marie tells Kevin.

Callista's POV:

"That's what you both said before Montenegro. Look, just humor me, niece and buddy. Objectives, of course, are enter Abkhazia, neutralizes the terrorists, and restore the rightful government... or what is left of it, anyway", I roll my eyes, "The president and most of the cabinet have been killed, and a military junta's been established", many pictures come up while he is talking, "The terrorists brain-jacked all the high-ranking officers, and their cyborgs scattered the rank-and-file." He tells us, while Courtney takes a sip then places her mug back on the edge of the desk. "The few leaders who survived have no way of openly opposing the new regime. That's why they called us" quick glimpses shows on everyone's face but split screen on both my face and Dads.

"Andrey Dolzaev, leader of the occupation forces. An extremist, linked to both the St. Petersburg massacre of 2015, and last year's terror spree in Georgia. And his arm supplier? None other than Desperado Enforcement, LLC." Boris says while shaking the backs of both Uncle Kevin's and Courtney's chairs.

"N'mani's killers." Dad asks.

"If we don't stop them here, they could destabilize the entire region. But our more immediate problem... is Jetstream Sam. I believe you've both met." Uncle tells/asks us.

As when Sam's name comes up and my eye widen. But I do not say anything because the memories are coming back in flashes.

Dad sighs as he looks in his peripheral vision and gets a little worried for me because my face becomes pale a little.

"The only problem Marie and I see is that nickname. We've got our enhancements this time. He won't be an issue." Dad says for the both of us.

"He may not even be in-country, but keep an eye out just in-." Uncle starts to say but stops himself. Both my eye and Dads widen at his mistake. "Oh...uh...sorry." Uncle quickly apologizes and puts up his index and middle fingers, points to his eyes, then to ours.

"Ready for insertion." Both Dad and I say at the same time for the third time.

Then the conversation drops, while our aircraft drops lower to the ocean's surface. Both hatches open, and our platforms lower both of us down. Then our feet hangers boost up, we look up and it launches us at the same time to the island in front of us.

This is the fun part, both Dad and I then point our bodies up. He just does a backflip and lands on his feet. While me, since I went a little higher in the air, I do more moves I love to do. So I freestyle my flips like a backward flip, a few sideways twists, and one more backflip before landing on my feet beside him.

As I land, it causes the water to make huge ripples to form, bigger than Dad's. He just gives me a look saying 'show off!' I just smile at him, then look up to see my masterpiece I did to his hair the same day I re-dyed my hair and the same with mine too.

As we start advancing out of the water and onto the land. Dad's visor opens first and his only eye opens to show only red like he is going to go into his Ripper mode, and his other eye has a cloth type patch cover, but the new hairstyle I have given him fits his new body.

Mine is just goggles and when I take them off, I have an actual eye patch, the similar to the one Grandpa Snake wore, over my new huge scar on my face only covers about a third of it. But as I open my only eye, my pupil looks like a cat slit and then goes back to a normal human pupil.

"Nightmare of course you make it more dramatic than your Dad. But the tricks are always cool to see." Uncle says to me.

"Thanks, Uncle." I tell him back.

"Nightmare, Raiden, you both landed safely, da? First, head inland. The waypoint is marked on both of you solution radars. Contact us on codec if either of you have questions." Boris tells us, while we start running to a set of stairs to get out of the coastline, we just land at.

But when we get close to the road, we both sense an enemy heading in our direction. Somehow Dad couldn't see the enemy, but I could see the outline of the enemy's bodies with the psychic sight of my right eye.

"The b $#!%ds are using stealth camo to ambush you both. Nice try, but it won't do any good against a state-of-the-art cyborg and a half-borg like you two, eh?" Boris asks over our earcons. As two more came out of hiding.

I ran to the one on the right, Dad ran for the one on the left, it took us about only two maybe three cuts before they went down. Then we went for the last one and tag team together. Now with me have a sword as my new main weapon with a small pistol in a holder on my right side, I can now team up with him by his actual side than at a distance.

Once the enemy is beaten. We get a call from Uncle, Dad opens his caller, I place my goggles on and look over his shoulder.

"Had your fill you two?" Uncle asks us.

"With these new limbs, I feel lighter than I did with my last ones. It definitely would be an advantage on my speed to defeat the enemy." I say and then Dad says, "With this body, I could take these guys with no eyes. Intel wasn't exaggerating on the cyborg count." I nod in agreement.

"Well, you both know how fast the tech's been spreading these last few years. That CNT muscle fiber packs the power of a jackhammer into every limb. What enterprising soldier of fortune could resist? And cyborgs are still human... real thinking people. Way less risk of collateral damage than your typical UAV Strike." He states.

Then Courtney's screen comes up.

"And don't forget the PR angle. Nations start playing Frankenstein with their troops, and the public goes nuts; PMCs on the other hand, are off the ethical radar" She states while Uncle grabs her coffee mug again and moves it away from the edge of the desk.

"Yeah, they still don't even count PMCs in official death tolls. With SOP out of the picture, private militaries needed a new edge on the market. We got it." He says.

"In a way, cyborgs are just SOP troops by another name, only all muscled up and less predictable." She says and I nod in all out agreement.

"But it makes you wonder...Where'd Desperado find these guys?" Uncle questions.

"I'm not complaining and neither is my Shadow about that matter. They're like walking vending machines." Dad says and again I nod in agreement with him.

"Right vending machines full of blood...WHAH!" Uncle pretends to be a vampire and both of us move back a little, "Easy there Dracula and Jr. Like I said, they're still people."

"People, who terrorize and take innocent lives for money. They sowed their fate when they took this job. We're just the reapers." I say and Dad nods this time in agreement.

"Dam... Bit cold, Nightmare, Raiden. Even for the both of you." Uncle tells us.

Dad and I just look at each other.

"Anyway...Uh, it's cool. Let's get to work. Time to increase the peace." Uncle says to try and brighten the mood.

"Right." Dad and I say at the same time before his caller screen disappears.

Then we start heading to the building, straight from where we enter the area, and then we got a call from Boris.

"Raiden, Nightmare, this is Boris. Give me your status." He asks.

"Looks clear. No one in sight." Dad states back, while I'm checking the area around us.

"Good. Let's recap the route you both will take. ASI said, the enemy's HQ is in the refinery along the coastline. Dolzaev has been spotted there using satellite photography... Also on-site: Mistrai, a Desperado captain." Boris tells us.

"So we go through the city, cross the bridge into the old town, then head down to the rear of the refinery." Dad summarizes what Boris just told us.

"Still, I think they anticipate us. They will probably have a grand reception awaiting you both at the old city. Do not let both of your guards down." Boris reminds us as his screen disappears.

We start moving again and jump onto a bunch of crates in order to get to the upper level. Then move to our right to get through an open doorway. I notice a Hostile in the lower flank. I don't tell Dad as to not make a sound to get either of their attentions and jump from above the enemy. I grab my rapier and side flip so my metal limb is above my rapier, then slam both down on top of the hostile. He notices me missing and looks down. Then I back flip off the enemy, to get my rapier out of the enemy, as he then jumps down and sees my kill of an enemy, nods his approval to me for what I had just done.

I swipe my rapier to rid it of blood and put it back into its sheath as we start running to the open door in front of us. I jump as I get to the ledge of the doorway and front flip to the ground. I did it again, while Dad only did it once then want to go down the stairs on the right, like the old man he is. Then we both start running to the right but we hear some voices in the background.

"What are you doing here? This area is off-limits!" A cyborg asks a civilian.

"What? No! I am not doing anything!" The civilian replies.

"Can we just kill 'em? It'll be easier. We're supposed to have driven them all away already. So... self-defense, right? Easy." The cyborg says to the other is right beside him.

Dad and I get to the edge, right before the two cyborgs could even kill the civilian. We jump with our swords under our feet and slam them down the cyborg's spinal cords, killing them with ease. Then we back flip to get our swords out of our victims' bodies. While we are doing this I notice the third one. During my backflip, I quickly grab my pistol from its holder and shoot the third one in between the eyes. Dad took care of the fourth one with ease too.

We then sneakily went around the back end of an abandoned school bus and then straight. Right after we get past a tree and some blockades. We could hear a weird sound coming close to the area we are in.

When we look up to find where the sound is coming from. I see a metal gear on top of a roof of a building, it jumps to the ground in front of Dad and I. It then roars at us and gets the cyborgs attention in the same area we are in.

I tell Dad to distract the metal gear, while I handle the cyborgs. He nods then starts trying to get it's attention. I grab my next magazine of bullets but these are my infamous armor piercing type bullets. So I quickly switch magazines in my pistol and start killing the cyborgs in a flash.

Once I finish off all the cyborgs, I switch out my pistol for my rapier and join the battle between Dad and the metal gear. But while running to get to his side, I notice the metal gear's movements are similar to movements of a Spanish bull.

I stop running, looked around for a building with a flag still on it. I find one and run to the building. I jump, grab the flag and yank it off its pole. I turn around to where it is.

"Hey, you, metal head with two chicken legs," I call out to the metal gear to get its attention.

The metal gear looks in my direction and recognizes I have a flag in my hands.

"Toro, Toro, you overgrown cow." I taunt it with the flag going up and down with my left hand.

It then changes its position and starts kicking its one leg. It roars and charges at the flag. Right before it could even hit me, I move the flag and myself out of the way. I swipe my rapier at the leg closest to me. Dad catches on what I'm doing and signals to me to come to him. I see the signal and run to him before it could even change its position again. He ducks down to hide behind the flag and grabs his sword.

I taunt it again causing it charges at me. But when I move both the flag and my body, Dad jumps on top of it, stabbing the top of its head about four or five times before it knocks him off. We continue to tango with it until the last blow is given, causing it to be cut in half. Then one last roar it blew up.

Then we notice two more of the same metal gear, we had just beaten. We decide to separately take one, we get hit about two or three times before we grab the nano-repair units from in their body to help repair the damage, we received. We defeated them along with a few cyborgs too. But for me, it only repairs my metal limbs on my body, not the flesh parts.

"I swear, it is so nice being back on the battlefield again. Rather than being cooped up in a hospital or even at home to just recover from our injuries." I tell Dad, he nods in agreement.

We head off and head to the left side. We see metal double doors and went up to them. I press the top button to open the doors. After the doors open we walk in.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	12. The Fight of Nightmare, Ripper, and Wolf

Recap from the last chapter: "I swear, it is so nice being back on the battlefield again. Rather than being cooped up in a hospital or even at home to just recover from our injuries." I tell Dad, he nods in agreement.

We head off and head to the left side. We see metal double doors and went up to them. I press the top button to open the doors. After the doors open we walk in.

**************Back To The Present Time**************

Raiden's POV:

We continue down the hall until we hear this deep robotic voice say to us, "Greetings cyborgs."

We both place our backs on the left side wall with our weapons out, ready to strike for if anything would come at us.

"Show yourself," I tell it.

But instead of a body showing itself from around the corner close to me. I hear a slicing sound come from behind us. I tell Marie to get down and she does as told. When I turn around to see what it is. But all I could see is a long blade slicing through the wall on the side we are at. Lucky for me right before the blade could even take my head off, I bend backwards under it. The blade only touches my chin.

After the blade has fully passed us. Marie gets out of the way and I bend forward, doing a front flip, then twist to my left to see the blade went to the ground cutting to the other wall. Then it went up to the other wall. The floor becomes unstable almost knocking Marie and I to the floor. We both see the side is cut is going down.

So we both look behind us and see three big crates coming at us in fast speed. We didn't have enough time to dodge them, causing the both of us to get knocked out of the area, we are just in.

We both do some somersaults and then land on our feet. I get in front of Marie and cut two of the three crates in half. But when I cut the third crate in half, all we both see is this dog, like metal gear with a saw for a tail, coming down at us. Marie moves to get out of my way, while I block the saw-tail with my own sword.

I kept up for another three seconds before Marie kicks it, with her right leg, away from me. The metal dog does a backflip before landing on its four feet. We get into defensive positions for just in case it attacks us again.

I ask it, "And you are?"

The dog swings its tail to attach it onto it's back and releases the saw from the tails hold. It answers back with, "I am IF prototype LQ-84i.

"IF prototype?" Marie says with a little flicker of confusion in her eye.

"Interface prototype. All autonomous UGs feature high-level onboard artificial intelligence. An additional prototype intellect enables verbal communication. I possess an intellect far beyond human reckoning." It tells us to help clear up some bumps.

"You don't say. Okay then: what is the meaning of life? Why are we here?" I ask it.

The prototype then flings something at us. But I block all of it. I even caught one with my right foot. We both notice the things the IF prototype threw at us is small military type knives. They look like they are just over a flame for long time because they are bright yellow, if not white. Also, two went into the wall behind us and melts the wall after they made contact with it.

Callista's POV:

All we see is little limbs attached to its tail. It then told us, "I am here to kill you both."

Dad still has one military type knife between the ball of his foot and his heel. He then puts his foot behind him in order to toss it into his left hand, then he put his foot down on the ground.

"That's it. Pretty simple thinking for such a mighty intellect." I taunt while Dad threw the military type knife behind him.

"I may analyze orders, but I may not disobey them. Should I disobey a direct order, my memory would be wiped. I must destroy both of you." It answers back while it moves its tail, with the saw on it, around the front of it.

"What good is an intellect if you can't use it?" Dad asks it.

While he is talking, I grab my iPod, plug in my earbuds, put one in my right ear and get the song, "I'm My Own Master Now," to start playing. I put my iPod back into one of my many pouches.

"Your taunting is pointless. Exterminate!" It calls out while jumping over the both of us and onto the roof of the building behind us.

Then it lets out a loud roar. Dad and I get into our fighting positions. But I notice the roar it gave off almost sounded like a wolf howl. His visor comes over his face and I place my goggles over my eyes. Then it jumps in front of the both of us. He blocks the saw attacks, while I try to think of ways to defeat it. But I couldn't think long because the attacks then start coming at me too. So I had to block them as well. He starts swiping at it while it's attacking me. The prototype backs off and starts attacking him again.

One of the attacks the prototype gives to Dad is a spin type attack, but he is lucky to block it. After the block, somehow it gets stuns long enough for the both of us to get a few hits on it. But it got out of its stun and jumps back onto the wall behind us.

Telling us, "A savvy warrior uses all of his tools. Backup required!" Then it howls for backup. Causing cyborgs to start coming from on the other side of the wall it is on.

We attack all the cyborgs, and I notice the prototype is staying up on the wall, just watching us as we battle the cyborgs, almost like it is analyzing our combinations. So I only attack the cyborgs with only the same moves, so it wouldn't see all my combination moves I can do.

"Are all three of us here only to fight, then? Demonstrate the extent of both of your intellect." It said as it jumps back down and starts fighting us again.

A few seconds later, I hear, "Combination complete."

'So I was right, it is analyzing all of our combinations.' I think to myself.

"Combination attack." It said before then attacking the both of us. But we hit it before it could do anything to us and it didn't even attack us. After a few more hits, the prototype then jumps back up onto the wall, he is at before.

It says, "To continue alone would be foolish. Help me!" Then it howls again and a metal gear, we just tango with three times now.

So we did what we did those last times and we are able to defeat it very quickly, but I grab the nano-repair unit. After absorbing it all, I crush it, and my metal limbs are repair. The prototype jumps back in and told us, "Use both if your intellects. Evade my blows."

So we did what he told us to do and evade the attacks it is giving us. But I misjudged the last one and got hit. I am able to get back up like it was nothing. It told us, he doesn't feel pain. But we kept on attacking, dodging attacks, or even blocking the attacks coming at us.

"Recovery complete." It said to itself.

Dad then picks it up and it cries out, "S-Stop..." But he stabs it about two times then threw it up into the air and kicks it. The prototype just falls onto its side and didn't move after.

"Cannot... Continue..." It says one more time out loud.

But we got an incoming call from the prototype. It states, "Directive... liberate... nation... ensure freedom... Obey directive... must obey directive... no freedom... Freedom... undefined..." Then the communication went dead, the prototype went and blew up.

"What would an AI know about freedom..." I ask myself, I look over to Dad, he just shrugs for he too didn't know.

After our little conversation, we start back up on the main objective of getting to the refinery. We went past a set of blockades and we caught three cyborgs attention. We are able to defeat them really quickly. Passes another set of blockades.

Dad hears something from behind us and when we look behind us, all we see is two helicopters coming at us. But they are not friendly ones because they are shooting at us.

We had to dodge the missiles and try to get away from the areas of the bridge are falling into the river below us, as quickly as we can. So I hit the bottom of my heels together to unlock my blades, I grab Dad's hand and try to skate us quickly out of there. But when I thought we are in the clearing, one more missile hit the bridge, we are standing on, causing us to fall.

But I am lucky, Dad catches my hand before I could even hit the river below us. He grabs his weapon and stuck it into the bridge. He flings me up as hard as he could and ran right after to get to the ledge. I made it over the ledge and help him up.

Then we start running again. But we had one get in front of us. It starts shooting at us, while the ones are behind us just stop shooting and starts moving on. I hit my heels together to retract my blades back into my foot and boot.

I get up to an area with walls and climb it up. I grab my pistol and start shooting at the helicopter as a distraction for Dad to be able to get on the side it is on. But when I get underneath it, I grab my sword and he does too. We both start slicing at it, but when the helicopter moves to the opposite corner from we are positioned.

He somehow grabs a rocket launcher while we are still on the ground. He shots at the helicopter, but it didn't completely destroy it. So we had to do the tactic one more time and this time we both ninja jump on the missiles coming at us. I dodge the missiles, while we reach for our swords.

Once we get to the helicopter, we start free style cutting at it until it hit the floor, causing it to blow up. We continue to head forward. But we caught the attention of a few more cyborgs and a few cyborgs on flying contraptions on their backs.

'Is there ever going to be a break of these guys.' I think to myself with annoyance as I continue to fight beside Dad.

Dad takes care of the ones on the ground, while I take care of the ones up in the air.

Uncle's screen comes up on my goggles, on Dad's eyesight and he said to us, "So that's where they're holed up." As we come up to a walk, after defeating the last enemy.

"Some kind of electronic lock on the gate..." Dad says.

Uncle's screen then switches to Doktor's and he tells us, "Most likely it opens only if you both have the right ID data stored in your left hands. Perhaps either of you could find a cyborg with access, and -ah- barrow it?"

"You see any cyborgs around here, Dok?" I ask.

Then Uncle's screen pops back up and he tells us, "Why not double back? Check the vehicle route again? You know, back at the entrance to the old city. Heh, who knows? Maybe you both can hitch a ride. Most likely platoon commanders carry correct ID data for the gate."

So Dad and I head back to the area and use the enhanced mode to see which one is the correct one. But a military car comes to us and stops to let out more cyborgs. We fight all the cyborgs coming out of the military car, but we couldn't find the specific item we needed.

Then Boris's screen comes up and he says to us, "Raiden, Shadow, you both... You both missed them all? Ah, well... You both will have to fight your ways through." So we head back to try cut the door down, but the door wouldn't come down.

All of the sudden Boris's screen came back up and he said, "Ah, I should have guessed you would choose this route." But as he said this the stupid door opens.

As we get through the doors more cyborgs are coming at us. We start fighting back and when we defeat all of them.

After we finish defeating all the enemies, I tell Dad we need to take a little break in order for me to have a little snack and water. I feel a little dehydrated from the lack of water in my system and a little light-head from the lack of food also in my system. He agrees, he places his right hand on my back, his left in my other hand. While I have my left hand in his, my right is on my head.

We went into the shade and sat down on the ground. I went into one of my many pouches and grab my huge water jug. I untwist the cap and nearly drank all of the water. But I left about half of the jug full of water for later. I put the jug back into my pouch and grabs a protein bar. I eat the bar and it helps a little get rid of my lightheadedness.

We wait a few minutes and I feel the lightheadedness go away. I tell him, I am feeling better and we can now continue on with the mission. Dad grabs my right hand and helps me get back up.

After we head around the fountain and up some stairs, which a military car is by. We head through the open doors after we finish defeating all the enemies in the area we were just in. We head to the back walls and head up to sets of stairs.

Then we turn right and jump onto the third set of stairs. As we get to the top of the stairs we head right again and went through a doorway with door attach to it.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	13. The French Demon From Hell

**A/N: Hey to make things more clear about Callista being able to see what her father can for when he is on one of the modes like I don't know like the camera zoom mode. Well basically Doktor and her custom made a set of sun goggles. Those sun goggles are connected to Raiden's eye sight, almost like Bluetooth. So another way of saying it is that whatever Raiden sees when he is in any of his modes, Callista would be able to see it too. But in only one side that way it doesn't confuse her and have her walking into a walk or even worse.**

Raiden's POV:

We come out of the doorway and onto a patio, which has a view of our objective area: the refinery. Marie is still behind me when I get down onto one knee and press a button on my zoom mode. I zoom onto one of the heating tanks to 4,300%. Marie and I see two cyborgs on platforms patrolling the area before I zoom to 6,353%, moving the camera a little higher. We both see Dolzaev facing us and a lady with her back to us.

"Dolzaev." Both Marie and I say at the same time.

We both see him pulling out a pistol, pointing it at the lady, and then see what it looks like he is threatening her. But the lady says something to him and his lips say, 'fine.' Before he starts to storm off while putting his pistol away.

I then zoom to 6,600% and see the lady has moved her body to the left. She places her arms on the railing, her right arm is up, allowing her chin to rest on the top of her hand. I get confused at first thinking, 'Can she really see us at this far from a distance.' Marie did the same thing, even though I cannot see her because she is behind me.

Then all of the sudden she places her right index and middle fingers against her lips and blew us a kiss. Both Marie and I are surprised at first, but we lean back, grab our swords in our right hands with the blade pointing away from our bodies. I get back down lower to the floor crouching position, while Marie went into a catcher's crouch position. I try to zoom in more but Doktor's screen comes up and in the way.

"Raiden, Kind, what's happening? Both of your heart rates spiked..." He starts asking, but I move his screen with my hand away to see the lady.

But when I turn my head back to check if she was still there, she wasn't in the spot, we last saw her at. I hear Marie give a sigh of relief. I did too.

"Yeah. We just dodged a bullet." I said for the both of us while exiting out of the camera mode.

"Alright. We're heading for the refinery." I say to Doktor before jumping down over the ledge we are on.

I put my right arm up as an anchor to help slow me down on my landing. As I land on to the ground, I look up to see if Marie has followed me down. But I see she didn't, so I put my sword back into its sheath, gave her a signal for her to jump and I would catch her. She nods, puts her weapon back into its sheath too and jumps over the ledge. While she is in the air, she changes her position so she knows would be comfortable for the both of us as I catch her into my arms.

As she lands into my arms, my arms would go down from the force of catching her. Then my arms went back up, she looks at me with appreciation and I nod as a 'you're welcome.' I lower my right arm in order to put her back on her feet.

We then bring our swords back out for just in case if any enemies are close by and we start moving again. We head up some stairs on the other side of us and onto the right.

As we get to the roof of the building, we move to the ledge on the other side. I see an enemy and took care of it before Marie could. She just jumps down and lands in a crouch position where her left leg is bent and her right is straight. She gets up from her position, grabbing her pistol and shoots a cyborg with a rocket launcher on its shoulder. While I take care of the other one.

Once we are done, we turn right from a green cube like things, pass a tree, went under a Ferris Wheel, and capture the attention of another metal gear, the same one as the one in the battle with the canine IF prototype.

HQ! HQ! Encountering resistance. Requesting backup!" The metal gear states. Causing some more cyborgs and similar metal gears to come back it up to fight us.

Marie and I fight the enemies until they are all beaten. We head straight to the huge gap between a normal cement color wall and a red wall. Then we ran through a door type opening on the left. Next, we turn right to another door looks like a garage type door.

Boris comes onto the screen telling us, "We intercepted call for backup during both of your last fight. The caller's position is on both of your soliton radar." While he says this Marie presses the top button in order for the door to open.

After we get through the door, we get a call from Boris again. He states, "Raiden, Nightmare, the cliff is just ahead at the end of the old city. Beyond that is the refinery's backyard."

"So, what, it's a sheer drop? The refinery's not connected to the city at all?" I say to him.

Callista's POV:

"No. It was built two years ago. There should be a narrow path around there that leads to the plant. It is protected by a fence, but probably one of you can cut your ways through, while the other follows behind." Boris answers Dad's question and suggests to us.

"Probably." Dad and I answer back.

"Don't get cocky. Most likely it is Desperado running security down there." Boris says before hanging up.

We head downhill to the left until we got to a fence like Boris said. Dad quickly cuts it down and we head on in.

Once we are in the new area, all of a sudden a bunch of small, like the size of Dad's knee to his foot, metal gear are coming at us. So we do what we do best if anything goes against us. We fight them and takes about four to five hits before they all blew up. Now cyborgs have joins the party.

After we defeat the last one, we then hop up the crates on the upper left corner. I went freestyle cutting to cut at a huge fan vent that is in our way.

As I finish, Boris advises Dolzaev and his team should be in the factory and we have to find him.

We hop down to the lower level and start to go up the stairs in front of us. There is a camera on the wall at the top of the stairs. I wait until the camera is pointing away from us and I went underneath it. Stabbing it from its underbelly. But after doing this we still catch the attention of the enemy. Dad takes care of the enemy while I grab my pistol. I point to the camera on the right, I close my left eye, lining up my shot aiming at the camera with my psychic link of my right eye.

When I shoot it, the bullet when through the camera's lens, causing the camera to shut down. Right before I could get the camera on the left, an enemy comes at me. All I did is use the butt of my pistol and slam it on the enemy's head, then shoot it in the back of the head, killing it. I am then able to do the same thing with the left camera like the last one.

After the last camera shuts down, we then head to the left corner of the room. I hit the top button with the butt of my pistol and as the door opens, I put my pistol back in its holster on my thigh.

Once the door is completely open, we head left to go up and then right. Which leads us to a set of stairs, so we went up to them and another set of stairs. After the second set of stairs, it leads us to a platform.

As we get onto the platform the lady from before is on the other side of the platform with her back to us.

"I was wondering when you'd both came... Jack the Ripper, Lavender-eyed Nightmare." She said to us, still with her back to us.

"No one calls me that anymore. Dolzaev. Where is he?" Dad asks her.

The lady clicks her tongue like we are kids, who did something she didn't like.

"I can show you both a better time than that crusty old bear." She tells us.

"You're in charge here?" I ask her.

The lady then turns around and steps with her right foot in front of her left, like she is a model strutting down the catwalk.

"I am 'Mistral'—the Cold Wind of France. And you...your reputations precedes you both. Liberians, but white as snow... Natural-born killers, even as children..." She says to us.

"That was a long time ago." Dad says to her.

"I was born in Algeria myself, you know. I'm only half French." She says.

"And?" We both say at the same time.

"We had our own civil war in the 90s. So you both see? Cut from the same cloth, you two and I." She says in a matter of fact tone.

"You don't know us." I say back with a little hint of sassiness in my voice.

"I lost my whole family, everything..." She says as we both look down in sadness.

"But I butchered those f %#$&s. My family's killers. That's when I realized...I am a killer, too. And a good one at that. I slaughtered dozens in Iraq, in Afghanistan...I found my calling." She says to us with pride in her tone.

My hands tighten into fists, causing my right hand to go white. I notice Dad sees it too. We both raise our swords and point the blade at her, he told her, "Proud of that, are you?"

"What happened, happened. To be honest, I found it quite dull." She says while unstrapping her velcro on her outfit, letting it fall to the ground. She then steps out of the outfit.

"My enemies fell like domino, one after another. Not once did I feel threatened. I was adrift...without challenge...without purpose...At times, I even envied my prey. At least they had a cause to die for. And then...I met him." She tells us.

At the last word is said, one of those little metal gear type creatures, with three arms, comes out and jumps at us. Dad swings at it to block the attack.

"Who?" We both ask at the same time. As we get into our fighting positions.

"And I knew what I'd been missing, " She bends down to the creature and pets it, "His ideals gave my life meaning. Ideals Jack, Nightmare. What are yours?" She asks us.

I answer her question with, "I...protect those who can't do it for themselves and give others a reason to have a future." Dad answers with, "I...protect the weak and my family."

All Mistral did is laugh at our answers, while grabbing the little metal gear into her hands, lifting it up, then put her left foot on top of its third hand. She kept pulling on the creature until the limbs comes off of it.

"Still...so naïve." She tells us.

"And if we must kill to protect them...then so be it." Dad says while we both raise our arms with our swords in our hand.

Mistral then starts swinging the arm in her right hand. Walking to the creature, stepping on it then crushing it in half.

"It seems we have less in common than I thought." She tells us.

Raiden's POV:

"We'll take that as a compliment." Marie says for the both of us.

"If you kill for both of your ideals, then surely you are both ready to die for them!" She says as she connects the two arms together.

Then all of the sudden a lot of those little metal gears come out and jump at her. Tearing limbs from each other in order to connect those limbs to her body. While they are doing this she keeps yelling in pain. She then connects another set of two together with the other two she already has.

While Mistral is doing this I notice in my peripheral vision Marie, grabs her iPod again and changes the song to, "A Stranger I Remain." Then puts it back into her pouch.

Once the connections are done, all the little metal gears start falling to the ground. And the pupil of her eyes went red just like mine when I go in Ripper mode. We get into combat stances and my visor went over my eyes.

Then all of a sudden one of the hands attached to her body, grabs a little knife and starts handing it to all the other hands on her right side to the left side, until it went to the hand in her 4 arm staff, L'Etranger.

"Come. Mon gars!" She taunts us.

As we come at her a few more of those little metal gears come at us, but Marie takes care of them while I handle Mistral. All the attacks I try to land on her, she blocks with L'Etranger. But I am able to land a few hits on her.

"Try and follow." She tells me, while she does a huge one hit attack.

I am able to dodge it. But more of those metal gears came out and tried to attack me. So I tell Marie to switch opponents and she agrees immediately. I attacking the little metal gears and notice Marie is a lot faster than Mistral. She lands a lot more hits than I was able to. But then all of a sudden Mistral is able to make L'Etranger become more flexible and becomes a whip.

Marie is able to get out of it in about ten seconds and then get out of the way of an attack as it aims for her head. She then does some of the moves I taught and some I didn't teach her.

I ran to Marie's aid and block an attack, which would have cut her head off, with my sword. But Marie blocks the next attack. Then L'Etranger went into the whip form again and grabs my leg. It slows down a little and I grab Marie's hand.

After I did this Mistral spin us around a few times before releasing us. Causing us to go flying to a huge metal pipe. Marie gets behind me, there isn't enough room for the both of us to stand side by side at the moment.

So she switches out her weapons. The way she doesn't get in the way and get hit by me.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" She taunts us.

'She does notice Marie is a lady too.' I think to myself.

Mistral then starts hitting me with L'Etranger as it again changes into a whip. I block the hits and she jumps over me. She get in between Marie and I but flips over Marie. I did the same thing in order to keep Marie safe and away from the weapon of Mistral's.

I am able to block a few more attacks, before free styling some hits. But again a few more metal gears comes and Marie takes care of them. Mistral tells us to both die and this battle is pointless. She keeps up the attacks with her weapon, L'Etranger, being a whip and again I try to block all of the attacks, but there are a few I couldn't block in time.

After a few more hits from me, Mistral breaks the huge pipe in half. Marie jumps onto my back and I start acrobatic jump off the pipe we were standing on. For the pipe falls off and I ninja jump from piece to piece until we land on another platform.

Once we land on the platform, Marie jumps off my back and again switches her weapons, since we now have enough room to work side-by-side. Mistral is in front of us with her L'Etranger stuck on the ground and her leaning on it.

"This ends now!" Mistral yells to us.

Callista's POV:

'I couldn't agree anymore.' I say in my head.

So we ran at each other and I start swiping at her. She dodges a few, but I hit her about six times before Dad comes in. He is getting her attention more on him than on me, so I went behind her and hit her in the back.

We keep it up, but there are a few times where she is able to get a few hits on me. So I decide to attack a few of the small metal gears to gain some repair back to my limbs and body. I went back to helping Dad trying to defeat Mistral.

"Too slow. I will rip you both apart!" She says to us.

'Oh really. Let's see about it." I think to myself.

She tries spin dash attacking us but we're able to dodge the attacks. We hit her a few times until Dad getting in front of me again. She tries hitting me with L'Etranger, but he blocks the move before it made contact with me. He moves in a little and hits her with his own fist. She does a backflip and tells us, "Don't fuck with me, boy and girl!"

Dad runs away from her and she follows him. I quickly grab my pistol and wait until he gets out of the way.

Once he does get out of the way, I shoot my last bullet in my magazine. The lone bullet, along with her L'Etranger went into the liquid nitrogen tank. Causing her to instantly freeze. While in mid-air Dad does a few cuts, but I made the final blow from behind. She crumbles into little pieces to the ground.

Then we get a similar call like when we beat the canine IF prototype. But this time it's between Mistral and Dolzaev.

"Mistral. Report! Your vitals are dropping!" Dolzaev's voice comes in first.

"I lost...So this is how they felt..." Mistral answers back.

"What?" Dolzaev questions.

"...dying...for a cause..." She answers back.

"Wait. No...hold on!" He starts to freak out.

"I am sorry. He was too...much..." She tells him.

"I do not need apology, I need you alive!" He answers back

"But I know...you will never fall..." She says.

"What...What is this talk about?" He says in a confused voice.

"Je t'aime...de tout mon coeur." She says with her last breath.

"'Je t'aime'? Mistral...You never..." He says and sounds like he is close to crying.

Dad then grabs the walkie talkie.

"She's not talking to you, idiot." He and I tell Dolzaev at the same time.

"You! You both killed her! Yob tvoyu mat! Murders!" Dolzaev answers back.

"That's rich, coming from you. It's over Dolzaev. Surrender." I tell him.

Dolzaev then just laughs at us.

"Ah ty tupoi sukin syn." He tells us.

"Translation?" Dad asks him.

"Why would I surrender? We are exactly where I want." He tells us.

"Crap..." Dad says out loud.

We both start running to the railing.

"Built with Russia money, to make Russia money. It is no plant for Abkhaz—It is their prison!" He tells us over the walkie talkie.

Dad and I look a little closer and see Dolzaev is on the clear top of the middle big sphere like tank. He pushes off his jacket with a button in his left hand.

"But now...They will be free!" He says as he presses the button with his thumb.

Which causes the whole sphere tank to blow up. The sound wave from the blast causes us to be pushed back. Dad grabs me and puts me in front of him, so he can take the brunt of the hit as we hit the wall behind us. When we hit the wall, we cause it to crack and fall on us.

"Dam...Crazy SOB." Dad says and I want to say the same thing but I get the wind knocked out of my lungs.

"Raiden, Nightmare?! Raiden, Nightmare, what happened?!" Boris's screen comes up and asking us.

"B#$%^&d blew himself up..." I say once I get my air back into my lungs.

"I see...Time to get both of you out of there. We're sending a helicopter. Secure an LZ." He tells us.

"Understood..." We both say to him as we look at the damage the explosion caused.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	14. Chapter 14: Meeting George

**Recap: The sound wave from the blast causes us to be pushed back. Dad grabs me and puts me in front of him. That way he can take the brunt of the hit as we hit the wall behind us. When we hit the wall, we cause it to crack and fall on us.**

 **"Dam...Crazy SOB." Dad says and I want to say the same thing but I have gotten the wind knocked out of my lungs.**

 **"Raiden, Lavender-eyed?! Raiden, Lavender-eyed, what happened?!" Boris's screen comes up and asks us.**

 **"B#$%^ &d blew himself up..." I say once I get my air back into my lungs.**

 **"I see...Time to get both of you out of there. We're sending a helicopter. Secure an LZ." He tells us.**

 **"Understood..." We both say to him as we look at the damage the explosion caused.**

**********Back To The Present**********

Callista's POV:

We're in our black car just driving in the streets of Mexico. Heck, I'm just happy I get to wear the one of my new outfits, my one chicas has made for me. You see I have a friend who lives in Mexico but only comes up when her family, who lives in the states is having a family fiesta or is celebrating a birthday.

**********Flashback**********

I am just walking down the street and going past a fabric vendor, with fabrics being sold outside too. A chica sees me walk by her and saw how my fashion taste is really good. So she calls out to me. When I turn around to where I hear the voice, she asks me to come over. I do and she asks me, on my opinion, about the fabric, she has in her hands. The fabric is a beautiful shade of a maroon with a black and white diamonds pattern.

I tell her my honest opinion of what I think of the fabric and I also suggest to her on what she could make the fabric into. What I said to her, she could make the fabric into is a crop top with long skinny to fat sleeves. She agrees and says to me she is going to make the shirt the very way I described it.

She then asks me for my phone number. I ask her reasoning why she wanted my number. She tells me, she loves having an outsider's opinions on what she could do with the fabric she grabs from the fabric vendors. She also tells me, she is a seamstress and owns her very own clothing store. After all those reasons I give her my number and a few days later she sends me a picture of the shirt with the fabric she showed me. I tell her, it turns out better than I could imagine.

Our friendship has blossomed from there. I text her to not to text me on days I cannot talk but I don't tell her the reason because it is classified missions. But I text her for long periods of time on days, I am not on missions with Dad.

So I text her back a few months ago asking her if she could make me two dresses. A simple but cute, short, like down to the knee type, dresses in colors of dark green and an in between a bright and normal shade of purple. She texts me back right away, she would have my order done in two weeks. I text her back, telling her to take all the time, she needs to make them.

I also sent her a text with my measurements and a mailing company's address, who works with our department. But after I sent the text, I call the mailing company and tell them if they get a package from Mexico, to have them send it to me. They agree and hung up.

One month later, I get the package and I hid it in my room, so Dad doesn't find it.

**********End of Flashback**********

'I always have the dark green one folded neatly in my pack. I want to give it to my little sister, Sunny. But I rarely get to..." I think to myself before I'm interrupted from my inner thoughts by Uncle Kevin.

"So you've both got some kind of disguise lined up, right?" Uncle asks us.

"Yep, all set." We both say at the same time.

"You guys got to stop that. Hope so, you'd both be a little conspicuous just walking the streets." He tells us in a matter of fact tone.

"Relax, Kev. We'll blend right in." I say to him while Dad tips his sombrero up.

I just fix my black leggings under my purple dress with a smaller version of the IF canine prototype sleeping on my lap. I named this little IF prototype, Wolf Jr.

"Yeah...Well, just get into the sewer system ASAP. Hopefully anyone who notices you both will just mind their own business. You sure you both want to take the two K-9000s there along for this one?" Uncle questions us.

"I had the good Doktor make some adjustments along with the repairs. Remote piloting and AI wiping have been disabled. So yeah, I say let's throw them a bone." Dad says to uncle, while I look behind my right shoulder and see Wolf raise his head.

"Wordplay: My exoskeleton resembles a canine; Canines enjoy bones. Amusing on two levels." Wolf states.

I giggle and Dad just rolls his eyes. When Wolf spoke, he woke up Wolfy.

"Let's go." Dad states after finding a manhole cover on the sidewalk.

Dad stops the car and we both open our doors to get out. I am holding Wolfy in my arms as I look at Dad seeing he is wearing a poncho with the sombrero in order to look like he is in a mariachi band. I just shake my head, as I look at my own outfit.

I decide to wear a cute black boot, I can get messy with a purple short, Mexican style type dress (look at picture) with below the knee, black leggings, and I put my hair up into a ponytail to finish it off my look. But I have my gear over it and my sword on my back too.

I notice two Mexican guys stop and stare at us.

"¿Quién es ese güey y chica?" (Who is this guy and girl?) The one in a striped shirt asks his friend in a plaid shirt.

"¿Un mariachi y una bailarina? No..." (A mariachi player and dancer? No...) The one in plaid says to stripes.

"¿Unos cyborgs?" (Some cyborgs.) Stripes says to plaid, while the roof of our car comes off to let out Wolf of it.

I'm grateful it distracted them because I'm going to go crazy at them because I knew what they are saying clear as day. I have a lot of good teachers back at base would be proud of me for not lashing out verbally in the Spanish native tongue. Instead I just decide to pet Wolfy's head, making him make sounds of enjoyment.

"¿Ese sombrero que?" (What is up with the hat...?) Plaid says to Stripes.

I'm very close to lashing out, but they see Wolf stretch out, get out of the car, and makes them shut up a little more. I then put Wolfy into my pack with his head sticking out of the top. Dad opens the manhole to let both Wolf and I go first. But before I go down, I say really quickly, "Mente su propio negocio, hijos de putas." (Mind your own business, b#$%^ ds.), then jumps in. The car went to auto mode to go back to base.

Once our car moves out of the way, the two men move closer to the edge of the sidewalk on their side and see Dad halfway into the manhole. He then takes off his sombrero and says, "Adios, amigos." Then places the sombrero by the entrance to the sewers and letting the lid slam down.

"¿Viste y esa chica es grosera?" (You see that and that girl is rude?) Stripes says to Plaid.

"Que raros, eh... Hay que hacer que no lo vimos. ¡Vámonos!" (What freaks...Let's just forget we saw anything. Let's go!) Plaid says to Stripes, as they quickly flee from the area.

Dad hears them quickly leave, he takes the poncho off, leaving it on the first step of the ladder and starts to climb down. As he gets to the level Wolf, Wolfy and I are on, then he contacts Uncle.

"It Raiden. We're in the sewer system." Dad says and Uncle's screen comes up on our radar, as we walk down the tunnel.

"All right, let's get started. Both your mission's to investigate the Desperado-affiliated research center somewhere in that area. According to the Intel from our client, the lab's been dumping illegal waste into those sewers. FYI, they're also involved with the cartels in human trafficking. Allegedly, anyways." Uncle debriefs us on the info we need.

"This just gets better and better," I say before Dad could.

"Tell me about it. We need you both to infiltrate the lab, and find out everything you both can. Of course you'll both have to find it first. We still don't know the exact location." He tells us and I sigh in annoyance.

"So we're looking for anything the lab might hook up with the sewers?" Dad questions.

"Yep. If they're actually dumping waste, they've gotta link up somehow. Find that connection, sneak into the lab, and see if you both can find any evidence implicating them on anything." Uncle answers Dad's question.

"No problem. Stealth's our specialty." I say while slamming my fist to my open palm.

"Right. Well we'll see." Uncle teases back.

"Do we have any idea what kind of research they're doing there?" Dad questions Uncle as I'm thinking the same thing.

"Not really. Maybe something related to all the people they're trafficking." Uncle tells us with uncertainty in his voice.

"Like...experimentation? Or even worse." I ask with fright in my voice as I spoke for the both of us and I grab Dad's free hand.

Dad squeezes back, "It's possible. First things first, though; find a way into that lab. Oh, right: says here that the locals say 'black crocodiles' live in those sewers, so, y'know...what out." Uncle tells us.

"'Black...crocodiles?' Could they be talking about UGs?" Dad questions as we turn a corner on the right as we continue to talk to him.

"Maybe, just an urban legend, but still...be careful." Uncle says as he hangs up.

"I will scout ahead. You both will provide backup." Wolf orders us.

Both Dad and I just chuckle, "Sir, yes, sir." We both tell him.

"Commence operation." Wolf says as he starts running ahead and we follow after turning left.

"Raiden, Callista: unidentified UGs are patrolling the sewers. Exercise caution." Wolfy tells us from my pack.

We stopped close to the entrance, we just came through after Wolfy told us this. We sense something behind us and when we turn around, all we see are a few pieces of the ceiling falling into the sewer water. When we look up, we both see a UG hanging from the ceiling.

Once it noticed we saw it, it starts shooting at us, we both backflip, well I do it with only my left hand, to get away from the shower of bullets. It causes us to slide back a few inches as we get up with swords in hand.

The UG drops down right in front of us, causing some sewer water to splash everywhere, from the ceiling. As it stood up, it bangs on its chest, like a gorilla would do to try and intimidate their enemy. Then slam its fists together to make a loud bang noise and hangs them down by its knees.

The dam thing then starts hopping in all the places we were previously just at, trying to land a hit on top of, at least one of us. Next it stops moving, letting us have the advantage to start attacking it. It then moves its arms, grabbing Dad into a hold like it wants a hug, and I went behind it. I decide to take a few swings from behind, trying to get it to release him from its hold. But all dad had to do is give it a swift kick, with both feet, to the head. With the kick, it releases him from the hold.

So we did the trick about two more times because I notice the kicks to its head did more damage than taking swings at it. I tell this to Dad for him to remember this for future battles ahead.

When I notice it's weak enough, I did some freestyle cuts at it from the side and slice it into many pieces, causing to blow up. As the smoke clears up, we continue to head further into the tunnels. Wolf suggests to us, we should go up onto the catwalks up above to be stealthier and not to alert our enemies.

So we did and are able to sneak up on a few enemies. I point to one for Dad to attack, while I take on the other. He agrees and stays in his spot, while I silently ninja run on the wall to the catwalk ahead of us. I did this to make it easier for myself to reach my next victim.

Once I get into position, I front flip off the catwalk, grabbing my sword, slicing my victim's arm clean off. But before it could make another sound to alert its buddy, I quickly slice off its head, causing the head to land in the dirty water and the body to fall backward. I flip away from the body, as it blows up so my outfit doesn't get dirty from the sewer water.

While I'm doing this, dad just fronts flip, grabbing his sword, and slamming it into his victim's back, instantly killing him. When he flips off of his victim's back, and it blew up. We then head left to another fenced-in area. But this time I'm the one to cut the fence down from top to bottom.

As I finish cutting the fence, I kick it out of our way for us to be able to jump down to the lower level. Wolf comes on our comm-links again, this time telling us there is a boy in the part of the sewers we are in.

We start running ahead. But right before we could turn the corner, some UGs, who was with Mistral, came at us from the ceiling and attacks us. There is a few who were able to grab us and they wouldn't let us go free. However, we're able to get them off of us. There is no end as we continue heading down the tunnel.

After we defeat the last of those little UGs. We continue to follow Wolf to wherever he is heading. Until we get to the end of the tunnel, we turn left. As we are turning left there is a fence in front of us. But Dad cuts the fence down and we continue through to the next area.

Just a few steps in, we hear off in a distance ahead of us, someone cry out in pain. We instantly start running to the area where the sound came from, which led us to a cliff.

When we get to the cliff, we look over the edge and see a boy sitting in the water, get surrounded by two UGs. Both Dad and I instinctively want to help the poor boy out.

So we ninja run down the wall with blue electrical streaks coming from our feet. (Well, most of it is from Dad because I have only one metal foot and he has two.) Dad throws one of his knives at one UG, while I jump from his right side and land on top of the other with my sword slamming into it.

As I take my sword out of its body, I'm instantly at Dad's right side again and we both yell to the boy to get out of here without even glancing at him. But instead of listening to what we have told him to do and run away from the scene. The boy instead looks up and down at us both.

He then said, "Two ninjas? Cowabunga? Go ninja, go ninja, go-."

"What're you...¡Huye!" Dad looks over his left shoulder and sees the boy is behind us. He tells him to leave again and the boy immediately does this time.

We get ready for our next battle with three medium-sized UGs, looks like the big metal gear, we went up against back in Africa.

Raiden's POV:

We start attacking the UGs, but we have to wait until they have their heads looking up to the ceiling. In order for us to get to its weak spot are plugged into its chest. One of us has to grab it, unplug it from the body, and split it in half. In which causes our sword to then split the bigger body in half too. We both get hit back a little, but Marie's extra careful since she is only a half-borg.

We're able to defeat all three of those UGs in about fifteen minutes. But once the last one is done for, Marie runs to the area where the boy went running off to.

"¿Está bien?" She asks him.

"Wah yuh say?" (What'd you say?) He asks back to us, as I come up behind Marie and put my hand on her right shoulder.

"Oh." We both say at the same time, as Marie goes up to him.

"Mi a Guyanese. From Guyana. You bra speak English?" (I'm Guyanese. From Guyana. You both speak English?) He tells us, as Marie helps him out of his hiding spot.

'Marie is going to be a perfect mother in the future.' I think to myself quickly, as Marie comes back to my side, I am able to get my hand back onto her shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. We're both from America. Call me Raiden and this is Callista." I introduce the both of us to him.

"Mi name George. Like 'Georgetown'." (My name's George. Like 'Georgetown'.) He introduces himself to us.

I look down saying his name trying it out and I hear Marie doing the same thing.

"An just like all dem America president." (And just like all those American presidents.) He expresses on.

"Yeah." Marie and I say at the same time, as we nod our heads in agreement.

"So what are you doing down here, sweetheart," Marie asks him gently.

"Mi? Wuh de rass ayu fuh bra do here? Yuh bra lose da map a ninja hideout, ninja people?" (Me? What the heck are you both doing here? You both lose the map to your ninja hideout, ninja people?) George asks us, which causes us both to chuckle.

"No. We're looking for bad guys." I tell him and Marie nods her head to prove what I have said is true.

"Ah, dem skunt a research lab." (Ah, those punks at the research lab.) He tells us.

"You know about it, sweetheart...?' Marie asks him quickly, but comforting too.

"Mi know mi no go back. Hey...Yuh bra na wan of dem skunts nah?" (I know I'm not going back. Hey...You're both not one of those a-holes right?) He asks us before looking over our shoulders to look back at the UGs.

"Nah...I guess yuh bra all right. If yuh bra a cyborgs, yuh bra know who dey is?" (Nah...I guess you're both all right. If you're both a cyborg, do you both know who they are?) He asks us with uncertainty in his voice.

"Sort of. What happens to you, sweetheart?" Marie gently urges him to tell us his back story on how he got here.

"Mi bin live on da street, rake an scrape fuh a bobb, nah? Den did kutnee dress like da mafia say, 'Hey boi, yuh wan a job?' Wah da worst gon happen, nah? But da mudda skunt done put mi on a rass boat! Dey pack us all a bigable dutty containah. Next ting we know, we here. At dat jumby lab." (I was living on the street, begging for quarters, you know? Then this creep dressed like the mafia says, 'Hey kid, you want a job?' What was the worst that could happen? But the mother heifer put me on a dam boat! They packed us all in a big, dirty container. Next thing we know, we're here. At that messed-up lab.) He starts explaining his story.

"All kids, like you?" I ask him.

"Yeah, alotta boi. But den mi bin over here wuh dem skunt wan a do. Snuff us out...an gut all dey organ..." (Yeah, lots of boys. But then I overheard what those punks want to do. They wanna kill us...and cut out our organs...) He continues his story and Marie goes pale like she is starting to have flashbacks of what happened to her while she was kidnapped/tortured.

"So you ran." I ask as the both of us see something white attached to the back of his neck, as he has his back to us.

"Uh-huh. Ise shame mi notta bad-ass robot-ninja-mons same's you bra. Mi bin strongest cyborg ever. Walack all dem Phantoms an Black Clothes dat eyepass mi." (Man, too bad I'm not some kind a cyborgs like you both. I would've been the strongest cyborg ever. Whack all the Mafioso and bad guys that mess with me.) He continues telling us but starts getting off the topic of the story.

"Starting to sound like a bad guy yourself." I tell him.

"Dad, don't be mean to him." Marie says to me, while she smacks my shoulder. I also notice her color is starting to come back to her skin again.

"Just playin', nah? Mi done plenty bad ting, but mi nah kill no man. Nah, nevah." (Just joking, you know? I've done some bad things, but I've never killed anybody. Don't want to, either.) He tells us with honesty in his voice.

"That's good, sweetheart." Marie tells him comforting and I nod my head in agreement.

"Mi try to warn dem boi, I say 'Ayodese brain will get cut out! Run yuh rass out a dey!' But dem bois wi mi no understand. Dey like Spanish or some'ting. So mi the only wan fun escape. Den dey machine came afta mi an-." (I tried to warn the other boys and say, 'All your brains are gonna get cut out! Get your butts out of there!' But the boys with me didn't understand. They were like, Spanish or something. So I was the only one to escape. Then that machine came after me and-.) He finishes his story.

"And we know the rest." I say to him, Marie just smacks me on my left shoulder again, as well as giving me the look again. While we both look back to the destroyed UGs.

I turn back around quickly to George and grab his shoulders, but not too tight to hurt him. I ask him, "George, we need every detail about how you escaped."

George gives a surprised look as I did this, but his eyes shrink back down and nod his head. "Oh..." He said while he nods his head.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	15. Finding Out What's In the Research Lab

Raiden's POV:

After we finish talking with George, he tells us exactly down to the littlest detail on how he escaped the lab. Then we get a call from Kevin as we start heading further into the tunnels.

"So the kid got into the sewers through a drainage channel?" Kevin questions.

"Yeah. He says the channel is super tight, but there's some kind of shutter next to it." I say to him.

"Got it. That must be where they dump the waste." He says with excitement in his voice.

"There's something else… It sounds like a Desperado exec was on-site yesterday. If a sentry cyborg was on hand for the meeting…" Marie says but is interrupted by the good Doktor as his screen comes up beside Kevin's.

"You both should be able to review their video log, provided you both can find a server-access terminal. That would give us the evidence we need… as well as a little peak at the level of their technology." Doktor tells us.

"So what about the kid?" Kevin asks us.

"We made sure the area was secure and we told him to sit tight. Can you pick him up?" I ask/answer Kevin's question and Marie gives him the puppy-dog eyes to add effect.

"Sure, I'll send a couple agents for him. You both just focus on getting into the lab. If what he said is true, about the organs… We need to hurry." Kevin tells us.

"Agreed. Raiden and Nightmare out." I tell Kevin and Doktor as their screens disappear.

We turn left and get onto solid land. Marie grabs her sword, cutting the door 45° three times, before kicking the cut pieces in for us to go into the next area. We go down two flights of stairs with no lights on the walls until we get to the bottom of the stairs.

"Heavy UG activity ahead. It is possible they are conducting test operations while the lab is closed." Wolf says through our comm-links. As we cut through the second door.

"They're not gonna make it easy to get into that lab…Is there some way you both could sneak past?" Kevin suggests to us.

"It's… It's boxes. How's that gonna help?... Oh, it's for medical supplies? That could work actually." Kevin hints to us.

After Kevin suggests the hint to us I cut the door, Marie finds the boxes in, down. We then head down a flight of stairs and at the bottom, there is another door for me to cut down.

Once the door pieces are out of our way, we quickly put on the boxes over or bodies. We slowly creep closer to a bridge, goes down, on our left to the solid ground then all the way to the metal wall. Then we have to wait for a few of the UGs to not look in our general area. When we notice no one is looking. Marie quickly gets out of her box, grabs her sword and cuts the door down.

Once it is out of our way, we quickly move to the next room, but we stop short for a ledge is in front of us. But we jump over the ledge and land in more sewer water.

"Raiden, Nightmare, I have determined the approximate location of the lab based on the boy's information. It is marked on both of your soliton radar." Wolf tells us through our comm-links as we head northeast to the wall with the stairs.

We move up the stairs and on to the catwalks. We wait for the UG to pass our area. When we see it past the corner, we jump off the catwalk. I scan the area, the UG went to, and notice a part of the wall glowing blue. I run to the area with Marie behind me. I bring out my sword and cut the piece of the wall. The wall then loses its projection on it and becomes a door.

"So a fake wall projection...Pretty well hidden, I gotta say…" Kevin says through comm-link.

Marie spots a camera grabs her pistol and shoots the camera until it blew up. I run past her and spot another camera. I jump up and swing at it about three times before it blows up.

Once both cameras are taken care of, we turn left at where the second camera was at. I scan the area up ahead and notice there are another two more cameras in the area up ahead of us too. Marie is on my right. She still has her pistol on her. She takes aim at the camera 23.9M away from us. Then aim for the camera 22.7M away.

After the second camera blew up, it's clear for us to move in. We run up the flight of stairs and Marie opens the door, by pressing the first yellow button. We start to head in but is interrupted by a call from Doktor. Marie puts on her goggles as we continue walking down the hallway.

"Ah, this would appear to be the UG maintenance area. You both should find a terminal there-something they use to upload mission parameters to their UGs." Doktor informs us.

"And something we can use to access the lab's main server?" I ask him with Marie nodding in agreement.

"Perhaps. But first you both need to take a DOOMP." Doktor tells us and causes Marie to laugh her butt off.

"We…Wait, what?" I say with confusion in my voice and Marie continues to laugh her butt off.

"A DOOMP? A digital-optical output mounted proxy. You'll both need one to interface with the terminal. Most any UG should suffice-a Tripod or the like." Doktor helps us to understand what he is trying to inform us about.

"We'll see what we can come up with. How do we use it?" I ask him.

"Simply connect to it. You should be able to use your communications outlay to control the proxy UG." Doktor tells me since Marie can't do this part with being only half-borg.

"All right, let's give it a shot…" Marie tells him before communications end as she places her goggles on her head.

Once it's done Marie went to the door opener, hit the yellow button, opening the door, as I grab a grenade from the box. As we continue onto the next room, I scan the room and see there are three cyborgs on the level below us. I jump over the ledge, while Marie shoots at the other two's heads.

"Yes! Ah, you both make me proud!" Doktor quickly tells us.

Marie jumps and I catch her. As she gets out of my arms, she quickly runs to the door on the right wall.

After she hits the correct button to the door, she side hugs me as thanks.

Once the door opens, we walk through, we see a bunch of glass containers, but we couldn't see what are inside of them. Then all of a sudden, the glasses light up and we see little cover things go up. And we see a bunch of brains, each with two eyeballs to go with it. Then all of a sudden all the eyeballs look at us. Marie mumbles she is going to be sick. But we hear someone behind the door say, "Find them." We both then head back to the room, we were just in.

Once we did, about three enemies are inside the room. We fight them, but a few more come at us. As the last one is defeated and blown up, we get a call from Boris. Marie quickly puts her goggles over her eyes.

"Is it over?" He asks us.

"For now, yeah. But that room...Those were cyborg brains casings." Marie says as she grabs my left hand in fear.

"Da. We saw." Doktor tells us.

"George said that they were harvesting organs from kids." I say.

"Yes, this must be why they are harvesting children. Perhaps other organs are being sold elsewhere, but they are definitely taking the brains." He assumes to us.

"Jesus...Are they making these kids into cyborgs?" I ask and Kevin's screen comes up.

"Wait-the cyborgs you've both been fighting...Did they seem like they might be kids? You both said earlier that child soldiers have a telltale approach to combat…" Kevin asks us.

"Yeah, but we didn't see it here. Those weren't kids." Marie and I say at the same time.

"So...What? Desperado's just doing the surgeries there?" Kevin questions.

"We've gotta do something about all those brains. And the other kids George was talking about…He just escaped a few hours ago-they couldn't have taken all their brains out that fast." Marie says with desperation in her voice.

"True. There could still be a bunch of kids they haven't touched yet." Kevin tells us.

"We better move." I say as both Boris and Kevin's screens went off and Marie just leaves her goggles over her eyes.

We head off to an open door, we head to the wall with racks of Geko UGs. I find one we can use. I grab the connection wire and attach it to my head. The eye on the Geko went from red to blue. I let it go and it goes forward to a vent.

Callista's POV:

With my goggles still on and I could see everything through my left eye on what dad is seeing through the Geko.

"Splendid! It is all ours. Now use it to locate a data-input terminal." Doktor suggests to dad.

"These guys're pretty jumpy now. Any funny business and they might just open fire…" Uncle recommends to dad.

The Ug went forward a little the heads left. It went up behind the enemy.

"Try latching onto cyborg's heads from behind. Then an electric shock should knock them unconscious." Doktor suggests to dad.

Dad did what Doktor suggested with the little Geko. Then it went under some tubes and turns left to dash to the corner. Then he waits until the cyborg went to the opposite end of the room. It left enough time for dad to send it up onto the catwalks. It went to the corner and looks up, there is a vent for it to go through. The little Geko went through the vent and up to the computer.

"That terminal is most likely designed to download mission data and such into the UGs. Let's try using it to access the lab's server." Doktor says as dad gets it to hook up to the terminal to download the needed things.

After we did this, we get a call from Doktor.

"Raiden, Kind, I've found something. In one of the sentry cyborg's visual logs. Guess who shows up?" Doktor tells us with excitement in his voice.

"Patch it through." Dad and I say at the same time.

"Right away." Doktor responds and patches the link through.

The cyborg is walking down a hallway to relieve the cyborg before it. They raise one hand to say this one is relieved of duty, while the other takes its place. As the one, who is relieved goes away, we then hear a familiar voice come on.

"Then send us what you do have. We've already commended VR training." N'mani's killer says to a Spanish scientist.

"The Sears Program?" The Spanish scientist asks him and one other guy.

"Yup, same one ol' Georgy-boy used the kids in Liberia. Of course it's wired straight to the brain now. Feels as real as anything else." He tells him.

"You work is astonishing." The scientist says to him.

"And your work is late. We need to ship before our cover is blown. We've got some buttholes snooping around…" He says to him.

"We just do not have the full quantity yet. Each brain has its own unique requirements. It's not like we can just pop them out with an ice cream scoop." The scientist says to them.

"All right, you've made your point." The second man says to the scientist.

The scientist runs to him while laughing and says, "Thank you for understanding."

"Send what you have now, and destroy any unharvested inventory." The man says.

¿Qué?! (What?!) But...Have you any idea what they cost?" The scientist questions.

"Last I checked, vagrant children weren't exactly rare in this part of the world. Millions of them in fact. You can get more once we've set up a new lab. They lead lives to hunger and pain. We're performing a service here- for them, and the cities they burden." The man says, in which causes me to ball my hands into fists and start to shake in anger.

"But just gathering the donors required a significant investment-." The scientist complaints.

"Yes. Yes. You'll get the money. Accounting will be in touch." The man says.

"Gracias. I assure you will dispose of our inventory the instant we can confirm payment." The scientist says.

"Are we done here. I've got a full slate today...Tecumseh is a demanding mistress, and America has suffered long enough.' The man says.

"Oh yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Let me see you out." The scientist says to them.

As the log finishes, I punched my metal fist into the floor. And dad says, "You see that Kev, N'mani's killer…"

"Desperado's chief of operations. Goes by Sundowner. The Californian Wildfire…" Uncle informs us.

"The kids…" I ask uncle with a little hope in my voice.

"Think we're too late?" Uncle says back. I grabbed dad's left hand in comfort.

"Only one way to find out. George was still alive...Maybe the payment hasn't come through yet." Dad says to uncle as he squeezes my hand back.

"Maybe. But you heard what he said: They're already started some brains on VR training." Uncle says to us.

"There must be more than just what we found here...What about the V.I.P. in the suit?" Dad says/asks uncle.

"I'll find out. He definitely seemed familiar…"Uncle says to us.

"Right. We're going after the kids." Dad says for the both of us.

After dad says this, uncle's screen goes away. I put my goggles back on top of my head. Dad and I head a little further down the hallway, we are in. I release dad's hand when we see little Geko UGs coming at us from the open door. Dad swings at one as I swing at the other.

Once we beat the two Geko UGs, we head on into the room. I spot a cyborg up ahead with my psychic right eye. I motion to dad about the enemy up ahead and I am going to take him. He nods his head and I sneakily run up to the cyborg with my rapier's blade pointing up to the ceiling and behind my back.

As I get to my opponent, the cyborg didn't see me. So I went up behind him and slit his throat. But I shove my left hand into the cyborg's back to grab the nano-repair unit. When I feel my hand has a hold of it, I yank it out and crush it to repair my damage metal limbs.

Once I'm done with this, I give a signal to dad, the coast is clear. But I didn't comprehend the second one until dad ran up to me with his sword ready to attack.

"Move Nightmare." Dad exclaims.

I do and see him kill the hidden cyborg, I didn't see with my psychic right eye.

"Thanks, Raiden." I tell him after the cyborg blew up.

He nods his head and we then head left, but another cyborg comes up. So dad takes care of him real quick, while I take care of a few random Gekos, who came from the area, we are about to go in.

After all the Gekos are beaten and the cyborg blows up. We head to a door by some stairs leads up to the catwalks. I press the yellow button to open the door.

Once the door opens, we head into the hallway. But before we could turn the corner, we get a call from Courtney. I leave my goggles on my head and just listen to what she wants to say.

"Bad news, Raiden, Nightmare...We can't find George." She tells us.

"What?!" Both dad and I say with shock in our voices.

"Maybe the coordinates you sent us were off?" She questions us.

"No way. I merged the GPS location with Nightmares of our entry with all of our movement data from that point on." Dad tells her.

"This is bad." She tells us.

"You think they got to him first?" I ask her.

"I don't know…I'll have our guys sweep the area." She tells us.

"Thanks. We better keep moving." Dad and I both say to her.

Then the conversation ends. We round the corner to the left and head on down the hallway. We turn right before we get to another set of doors. I stop at the doors with dad behind me. I press the yellow button to make the door open.

After we head in, all of a sudden rockets are being shot at us by an armored tank. I quickly grab my iPod and play "Rules of Nature" again, then put it back into my pocket for it.

Raiden's POV:

While Marie is messing with her iPod, I'm thinking of a way to try and pass the tank. I decided we should run to the side, so no rockets could get to us.

When I see Marie put her iPod back into her pocket with a song playing over our comm-links, I tell her of the plan. She nods her head in agreement. So we run to the other side and up against the wall. We get into the next section in front of us without any rockets hitting us, and went up against that wall.

Boris then comes onto the comm-link saying, "The b $! %d is blocking the way! Push that thing back!"

After he said this, I signal to Marie, we are going forward to the next section across from us. Again she nods and we bolt to the section across from the area we were just at. A few rockets almost had Marie, but she makes it before they could hit her. We both then get to the wall closer to the tank.

A few seconds later, we both charge, swinging at the front of it. It took twenty-two swings to push it back, about eleven swings from the both of us. But there were a few times where the tank pushes one of us back or even the both of us.

Once we get it into the next room, the tank transforms into its other form.

"It has switched to biped mode. Careful! It is whole new battle now!" Boris tells us on our comm-link.

So we had to up our game. We would take swings at it, then try to block the attacks it sends at us. We continue to do this until we have the shot to go freestyle swinging to cut off a third of its armor. We did this one more time to get off another third of armor off. I take a few more swings at it before it lands on its butt. I let Marie have the honors on finishing it off. She takes swings at the front then I get behind her. I toss her up to let her get to the roof.

After the final swing, she gives to the tank, I run to a spot, I predict she will land. She comes falling down after somersaulting in the air and lands directly into my arms. I reposition Marie, so she is sitting on one arm really quickly because I hear the ringing of someone is trying to call us.

As I am repositioning her, she sheathes her rapier at her hip and then puts her goggles over her eyes. I see the caller is Kevin, so I answer the call.

"Raiden, Nightmare! I knew I'd seen that guy before! Steven Armstrong. As in Colorado Senator Steven Armstrong. They're already talking about him as a shoo-in for the nomination in 2020. And get this: Two years ago a federal grand jury investigated his ties to a certain private-." Kevin states, but we interrupt him, "World Marshal, one of the biggest PMCs out there. We remember."

"The biggest, ever since the Big Five split up. Not to mention the single largest investor in military cyborgs R&D in the world. Guess that answers the question of who's backing Desperado…" Kevin continues on.

"Marshal and Desperado In Bed Together...Should make for some fun headlines." Marie chuckles as I look up and smirk at her.

"Headlines?! This is World Marshal and a US Senator we're talking about. There won't be any headlines. Even without the Patriots' filter, no major media outlet will investigate allegations like these. It'd be financial and political suicide." Kevin tries to persuade us about the issue at hand.

"So we just what?" I start to say and Marie continues where I left off, "Sit back while they keep carving up kids? Stand aside while they build an army of cyborgs?!" I then continue from there, "You heard them: We shut down one lab, they build another. They're planning something big, Kev-We can't just wait for it to happen." Then the both of us finish off with, "We need to hit 'em first, and hit 'em hard...Where it counts…"

"No Raiden, Nightmare? No. I know what you two are thinking, and...just no. Colorado is in America, and America has these things called laws." Kevin starts scolding us.

"Mm-hmm. And law enforcement in Denver was privatized and farmed out to…" I say then Kevin finishes for me with, "Marshal! Yes! So what! There are still laws! And it's their headquarters for chrissakes. You'd both be heading right into the heart of a raging crapstorm!"

"We didn't say it would be easy. We'll figure it once the kids are safe." Marie and I say at the same time to Kevin.

"Jesus Chri-. Kevin out." Kevin says with anger in his tone.

Once his screen went offline, Marie puts her goggles back on her head. While I gently place her back onto her feet. We head back to the room of the area, we are in now. Marie opens the door by pressing the yellow button on the dashboard.

As soon as the door opens, we head on down the hallway then right before we turn left, Marie stops me from going any further. She quickly heads to a red box, she smacks it with her right foot, causing the lid to open up. She grabs a flash grenade.

"The reason why I stopped you from going any further, Raiden, is because there are two cyborgs on guard duty. Here is the plan, I have come up. First I am going to toss this flash grenade by the cyborgs. Then after the flash goes away, you and I are going to take one cyborg. Kill them quickly and head on forward as if the enemy wasn't there in the first place." Marie tells me and I nod my head in agreement.

We commence with the plan and nobody got hurt. Well except for the enemy cyborgs. I killed mine in freestyle cuts, but Marie tortured hers. She first cut off both arms and legs on her cyborg target. Then she slits her target's throat, so deep, the head is nearly cut clean off the shoulders. But what is crazier is she never got a single drop of blood on her person or on her clothes.

"You almost act like a cat, Nightmare. My reason I say this is because you love to play games with your enemies like a cat does with a mouse. Another reason, your eyes turn to slits when you get very angry. Are you sure you have told me everything from when you got kidnapped?" I ask her with caution in my voice.

"Yeah, I am sure, I told you everything." She tells me to my face and I do not see any lies in her eyes.

"Okay, I trust you." I tell her.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	16. The Decision on What is the Right Path

(Warning: Very graphic details are to come ahead.)

 _Recap from the last chapter:_

" _The reason why I stop you from going any further, Raiden, is because there are two cyborgs on guard duty. Here is the plan, I have come up with. First I am going to toss this flash grenade by the cyborgs. Then after the flash goes away, you and I are going to take one cyborg. Kill them quickly and head on forward as if the enemy wasn't there in the first place." Marie tells me and I nod my head in agreement._

 _We commence with the plan and nobody got hurt. Well except for the enemy cyborgs. I killed mine with freestyle cuts, but Marie tortured hers. She first cut off both arms and legs on her cyborg target. Then she slits her target's throat, so deep the head is nearly cut clean off the shoulders. But what's crazier, she never got a single drop of blood on her person or on her clothes._

" _You almost act like a cat, Nightmare. My reason I say this is because you love to play games with your enemies like a cat does with a mouse. Another reason, your eyes turn to slits when you are very angry. Are you sure you told me everything for when you got kidnapped?" I ask her with caution in my voice._

" _Yeah, I am sure, I told you everything about what happened." She tells me to my face and I do not see any lies in her eyes._

" _Okay, I trust you," I tell her._

Back to the story:

Raiden's POV:

"More Patriot intel! Bring me more, and then I can develop something…interesting from it." Doktor recommends to us in our comm-links.

We then head to the door at the end of the hallway and Marie presses the yellow button to open the door.

After the door opens, we head in. We both are in the next section, getting a call from our good Doktor. Marie moves her goggles over her eyes as I accept the call, allowing his screen to come up in front of the both of us.

"Ah, an artificial-blood cryopreserver. They must have begun preparatory freezing."-Doktor

"What do you mean?"-Marie and I

We look at each other with smirks on our faces and knock side-knuckles because we feel, Kevin is groaning in annoyance at us.

'I am sorry, Kev. But we cannot help it. Marie and I both know what the other is thinking before they even say it. Even though Marie is not my biological daughter, she acts more as if she is biologically Rose's and I's daughter.' I thought to myself before I get pulled back to reality by Dok telling us on what the heck the device is in front of us.

"That device is filled with synthetic blood plasma. It can slow the metabolism of a harvested organ, circulating this plasma to sustain oxygen levels. You can preserve an arm, a brain—any body part, for several hours."-Doktor

But his answer just leads the both of us to have more unanswered questions.

"So what are they freezing?"-Me

"And why?"-Marie

"I could not say… Perhaps they plan to sell off the organs of the children they were told to dispose of?"-Doktor

"Unbelievable…"-Marie (With disgust in voice)

I grab her hand, squeeze it as comfort and she squeezes my hand back.

"You both have best hurry, Raiden, Nightmare."-Doktor

"Right."-Marie and I

We release our linked hands after Doktor's screen logs off, Marie moves her goggles off of her face and on top of her head. Then we head right back corner of the room. I kneel down to a computer and type in some things to get access to it. I sense Marie looking over my shoulder. We both see we are given another mission to complete.

We head to the corner of the room, diagonal to the corner, we are just at. Marie smashes the yellow button making the door uncover our next area.

Callista's POV:

When the door opens, it reveals a room and we head in. I see two windows in the room and a bunch of tanks to the left of the windows. I run ahead to check on what is behind the windows.

But I get repulsive from what I'm witnessing on the other side of the windows. I see about ten boys dressed in white attire in a single room, just sitting on the ground.

"What?"-Me

My body is too stunned from what I'm witnessing in front of me. But I'm able to get some motion back to just in my hands because I place my metal hand on the window to the left of me.

Dad stands on my right and looks in too also with a stunned look on his face.

We hear what sounds like MGs, but I look to where the actual sound is coming from. I look up to the ceiling in the room with the boys and spot the air vents are dispensing out air with, what I assume is chemicals mixed in it.

"Crap."-Dad (With concern in voice)

I can see in my peripheral vision him reaching for his sword on his back. I take note of all the boys, who are standing, are already hacking their lungs up because of the inhalation of contaminated air.

"Hey, stop right there."-Man (With Spanish accented voice)

In my peripheral vision, Dad turns around and I do the same. We both recognize the Spanish scientist, as the one from the video we just examined. I spot George in a locked grip with a pistol to his head.

"George!"-Dad and I (My voice has a hint of anger in it)

"Raiden, Nightmare…" George says with a small hint of scared in his voice.

My eye changes when I look at George and try to comfort him with a look silently telling him, 'it will be okay.'

"You've both heard of chloroform? A potent anesthetic in smaller doses. But breathe too much of it… And…adios, muchachos."-Scientist

"Bastardo. Sé lo que hace el cloroformo y cuáles son las consecuencias para respirar en exceso. (B $^ *d. I know what chloroform does and what the consequence are for breathing in too much.)"-Me (In Spanish with anger in my voice)

I observed when the Scientist looked at me, he has a horrified look in his eyes. I know the look in his eyes from anywhere because my anger caused my eye to change into cat like slit instead of the normal human pupil.

Dad looks over his shoulder seeing all the boys are coughing. A few of them have already fallen and are not breathing. He turns fully around to the glass and reaches for his sword. I knew he's going to try slicing it to get to the ones still coughing. But if he does, then it will cause this room to not only get contaminated with chloroform, but the bastardo could possibly shoot George.

"Break that glass and I'll blow his brains out."-Scientist

"Amenazando con el niño es la última cosa que quieres hacer, bastardo. Le corté la garganta con mi estoque, Leopard Claw antes de que incluso podría presione el gatillo a ese tuyo. (Threatening with the boy is the last thing you want to do, B $^ *d. I will cut your throat with my rapier, Leopard Claw before you could even pull the trigger on that gun of yours.)"-Me (Growling in Spanish)

But Dad lets go of his sword anyways because of his soft spot for kids.

'Really Dad, you show your soft side now.' I thought to myself as I continue glaring down the Scientist.

"Surrender! Or decide: The needs of the many, or the needs of the few?"-Scientist (Fear in voice)

I can hear a little bit of fear in his voice after my little threat I gave him.

After he says this, Dad put his left hand on the glass again, looking at all the boys inside the room, as if he is trying to decide what to do. But he turns back around to face the scientist with me looking at him with a very dark look still on my face.

"Raiden, Nightmare… Don worry 'bout me, nah…? (Don't worry about me…?)."-George

"Quiet, pendejo! (a$$%*^#!)"-Scientist (Threatening)

He forces the barrel of the pistol further into George's head, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Surrender! I won't ask again!"-Scientist

A s#!^-eating grin forms on his face thinking, 'I win,' then looks down at George.

When I heard the cry come from George, it nearly sent me over my complete edge. I became so mad an actual growl, only a big cat could make when angry, comes out of my very throat.

(Youtube- Leopard sounds 0:11)

"George. Are you sure…?"-Dad

I couldn't say this without my voice scaring the crap out of both Dad and George.

"I'm ready. Mi life no so precious ting. But if mi can take dis skunt to hell wi mi… (My life isn't such a precious thing. But if I can take this a$$^%& to hell with me…)"-George

"¡Cállate! (Shut up!)"-Scientist

I release Leopard Claw from her sheath, having her in my hand at my side and I laugh insanely.

"That's all I need to hear. Raiden stay back, I got this one."-Me

I sense Dad nod and stays behind me. I bring my eye back to the bastardo and start walking towards him and George.

"Stop it… Now! I'll kill him, I swear!"-Scientist (Fear in voice)

I could smell/sense the fear radiating off of him, which makes me smile inhumanely. George grabs the pistol from in the scientist's hand as a distraction for me.

"Now!"-George

I take the shot, right before the scientist could even reposition his pistol to George's head again.

"¡Hasta la vista, bastardo!"-Me

I raise Leopard Claw above my head.

"¡Putrefacción de la ir en el infierno! (Go rot in hell!)"-Me (Absolute pure venom in voice)

I swing Leopard Claw at the scientist, trying to make sure I don't hit George. But I still end up hitting him with her. The top part of scientist's body slides to the right and lands onto the floor, along with the rest of his body.

Blood from both the scientist and George cover Leopard Claw. I turn away from the scene I have just made and flung all of the blood off her. I breathe in trying to help calm down. The look on my face changes from murderous to guilt as I put her back into her sheath.

I look over to Dad and see the look of pure shock on his face because I know he hasn't seen me go almost Ripper mode in a long time. I look at the floor with a guiltier look. But I turn around to George and see all the damage I have made. I run over to George and kick the scientist's body away from his.

I quickly grab my first aid pack from in my pack and take it out. I open the pack up, grab the bottle of rubbing alcohol, a disposable rag, medical padding, and tape. I have Dad gently position him in order for me to get a better advantage on the wound. He does and I go into medical mode, working on making the bleeding stop before he dies of blood loss.

While I'm doing this, Dad contacts Cortney, telling her, we have George and need to be picked up ASAP with a medical team. She doesn't question because we both knew they have seen what happened. She tells him, help is on the way.

As Dad is doing this I'm able to stop the bleeding on George's wound and then start bandaging the wound with medical padding and tape.

Once the wound is fully bandaged securely, I put all the leftover medical supplies back into my first aid pack and into my pack. I then grab a little trash bag to put all the bloody items and empty medical padding packets into it. Then put the trash bag into my pack too. I handed my pack to Dad and I carefully pick George up and place him on my back.

After George is securely and comfortably on my back, Dad and I start heading to where we need to meet up with the rescue/medical team who is to pick us up.

**********Time Skip**********

Dad and I are in the car on the highway heading to Denver, Colorado. Dad is driving and Wolf is in the back on my side of the car.

"—remain baffled by the statements. Police are still investigating a motive. President Hamilton is on his way to the Middle East this morning for his scheduled visit with Pakistani President Farooq Salam. The meeting is viewed as an attempt by the US to strengthen relations admits a surge of anti-American sentiment in the region."-The news lady

We get a call from someone. I press a button to change the screen from the news to the person who is calling us. But Dad fixes it so the both of us are able to see on who it is.

"Yo, mi ninja brudda, and aunt! (Yo, my ninja brother, and aunt!)"-George

"George. Good to see you up and about."-Dad

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"-Me

"Never better, nah! No pain, no more fuh starve while dem hungish bais eat. An mi neva so awake, nah? (Never better! No pain, no more starving while the piggy boys eat. And I've never felt so awake!)"-George

I laugh at how energetic he is being.

"That's because your blood sugar levels are being maintained automatically. Beats the crap outta coffee."-Dad

I nod in agreement even though I'm still able to drink it without it coming back out of my mouth like certain someone I know beside me.

"Oh! Mi bin hear yuh buth go a walack dem skunt a dere base. Why da rass yuh buth na take mi wi yuh, huh? (Oh! I heard you're both going to whack those punks at their base. Why the heck didn't you both take me with you?)"-George

"Dam it Dok… Sorry kid, you'd just be in the way for the both of us."-Dad

I slap Dad's right bicep with the back of my left hand as a warning.

"Awww."-George

"Besides sweetie, I thought you didn't want to be a killer. Right?"-Me.

"Mi don, but—. (I don't, but-)."-George

"Killing isn't fun and games. Remember that, sweetie."-Me

"Right."-George (Sadness in voice)

He shuts his screen off.

Raiden's POV:

(in his mind).

*Marie's dark laugh*

"That's all I need to hear. Raiden stay back, I got this one."-Marie

"Now!"-George

"It yearns to bathe in the blood of both of your enemies… but you hold it back or haven't even found it yet."-Sam

(Out of his mind)

"Yeah, just remember that."-Me (To self)

"Huh, did you say something, Dad. DAD LOOK OUT BESIDE YOU!"-Marie

I look to my left, seeing a cop car right beside us and the cop in the passenger seat points his gun at us.

"Marie, duck now."-Me (Before cop shoots)

The cop shoots, causing the bullet to go through the window. She quickly does what I told her and shrapnel from the window flys over or onto her and myself. I slam our car into the cop's to push it away from us. Their car spins and stops at the wall. Then more follows behind it. I look in the side mirror on my left and see more coming after us. I hit the gas to get further away from the cops.

I drift into other lanes to get around cars or trucks in our way, but they are still after us. But in the mists of the chase Boris's screen comes up where George's screen was just at.

"Raiden, Nightmare, what is this hernia?! You both cannot resign."-Boris

"Sorry, Boris, it's done. Can't have two Maverick employees involved in a corporate raiding, now can we?"-Me

Marie nods her head in agreement from what I had just said.

"You both could at least come talk to me!"-Boris

"No. It was time to break away from the old team, Boris. Past time."-Marie

I nod my head in agreement on what she said.

"You both cannot take on Marshal all by yourselves!"-Boris

"We won't sit by while they butcher little kids and ship their parts around like meat. It's sick."-Me (With Marie joins at the end)

"It's not all so simple. Raiden, Nightmare. They import those brains legally, for medical purposes. It's all done-."-Boris (Ranting)

"Being legal doesn't make it right."-Marie (Interrupting)

"Raiden, Nightmare, I-."-Boris

But I interrupt with pushing his screen away with, "Hold that, thought," because there are more cop cars in front of the lights, we are going to be going through.

I hit the brakes and pull up the emergency brake too. Then I drift the car to the left and go through a red light. Another car was going to go through but stops when I went through, almost causing the car to hit ours on Marie's side. But we did hit a yellow fire-hydrant off the sidewalk.

"Fudge you, buttholes!"-The man in the passenger seat (Yelling)

After we make it through the stop light and before passing through another one. More cop cars driving both in front and on the left. Which in result causes me to turn right, but after I turn there is a blockade with two cop cars in front of it.

But we notice one of the cops has a rocket launcher in his hands. I let my visor come over my face, while Marie gets her goggles on her face and checks if all of her stuff is securely on her. But Wolf just shakes his head at the both of us and lets his visor come together like mine.

After I hear Wolf's visor comes together, I hit the gas and accelerate faster towards the blockade.

"Fire." One of the cops tells the rocket launcher one.

The rocket launches at us, in a result, causes us to go flying over them. We flip forward five or six times before landing on the ground with the belly of our car pointing up and the roof on the ground. We skid a few feet before completely stopping.

After completely stops moving, about seven or eight more cop cars circle around us in the front with a whole lot of them pointing their guns at us.

I kick my completely smashed door away for me to get out of the car. Marie does the same with her door but uses the both of her feet. Wolf gets out through the back window of the car.

After Marie and I get out of the car, Wolf jumps on top.

"I will patrol ahead."-Wolf (Before jumping off behind Marie)

Marie nods her head to him, then he jumps into the space in between the building. He even when as far as jumping on the side of the building on the left of him to get more momentum.

"Military cyborg and half-borg: You both are not licensed to operate in this area. You both are in violation of state and federal law."-The cyborg cop (In the middle)

I look over to Marie and to where Wolf left. I nod my head to Marie and she does back.

"Guess you better arrest the both of us then."-Marie and I (Sarcastically with Marie giggling at the end)

One of the cops, who looks to be the chief, puts his gun down and starts laughing. In which causes the others to start laughing too.

"19-3-104.7 'Threatening a Peace Officer.' Deadly force is authorized."-Chief cop

All of his lackeys then grab their electric batons and get into a fighting position.

Both Marie and I take out our weapons, we get into fighting position, we are comfortable in. My visor clicks together over my face and Marie keeps her goggles over her eyes.

"Nightmare, go for the ones on the left. I will go for the ones on the right. But the chief is mine. Got it."-Me (To Marie)

"Go for it, Raiden."-Marie

I hear a loud battle cry come from her before we head to our victims.

3rd POV: (Warning this is a gore scene)

Doing what she is told, Nightmare goes left. She charges at them with Leopard Claw in her right hand. The first victim is on the far left. But when he tries to take a swipe, she jumps over both the baton and cop. She grabs his chest with her left arm after getting behind him. Her hand claws into his vest, so he doesn't move. Then slices his throat very deep, making him drown in his own blood.

After she does this, she then senses the other one not moving from his spot. He stays where he stood before she even attacked his partner. He just stared at her with horror look.

"What are you? You are not human, cyborg or even a half-borg. So what are you?"-Cop (With fear)

"I am your worst Lavender-eyed Nightmare. And I am making sure you do not wake up from it ever."-Nightmare

Her eyes go into cat slits and an inhuman smile on her face.

Right after she says this she puts Leopard Claw into her sheath. She front flips towards him, but before getting even close to him, she does a one-hand hand spring with just her left hand. Pushing off with more force in her momentum, making her go higher into the air, doing a few random flips before landing on top of the cop's shoulders.

Once on his shoulders, she grabs his head with her left hand on the right of his head and her right on his left. She pivots her body left over his shoulder and causes his neck to make a death-defying snap sound, his body then falls to the ground. But as the body falls, Nightmare lands on her feet like a graceful Kätzchen (Kitten-German).

While Nightmare is doing this, Raiden is taking care of his. He goes after the cops on the far right of the chief first, doing a few swipes at him while trying to dodge the hits the others are swinging at him. There were a few hits, the cop were able to give him, but he finishes him off by freestyling his swings. But he grabs a nano-repair spine and crushes it before his first victim blew up.

After defeating his first victim, he goes for his second one. But as he is fighting his second one, he hears Nightmare say, "I am your worst Lavender-eyed Nightmare. And I am making sure you do not wake up from it ever."

He feels a chill go down his spine when he heard the tone of her voice. But seeing in his peripheral vision, her doing a move, he has never seen her do before. She front flips to her second victim doing a one-hand handspring with her left-hand pushing off, flipping a few times in the air, and lands on top of her victim's shoulders. Then she wraps her hands on either side of the head, shifting over his shoulder, causing his neck to make a death-defying snap sound to echo in the area they are in.

'Reminder to myself never get on her angry side, while on a mission.' He thinks to himself then continues to fight his opponent.

He finishes off his second opponent by taking the cop off guard, launch him up into the air doing a sideways kick with his sword in his foot. Then finishes him off by slicing him to pieces before heading to the chief.

He did the same thing, he did to his second opponent to the chief. But when the chief is beaten, four more cops come at both Nightmare and Raiden.

Nightmare quickly finishes off two of the cops, while Raiden takes care of the other two.

Raiden's POV:

Before Marie and I could go any further, Wolf jumps down beside Marie and tells us, "The road is blocked by barricades. We will proceed through the buildings. You both will follow me."

He runs ahead with us not far behind him. But two MGs gets in front of us. I go for one while Marie goes for the other.

We both start swinging at our opponents until our opponents are off guard to do freestyle swipes on the MGs. We both have to do this twice before the both of them blew up, but I take a nano-repair spine, crushing it to get my wounds healed.

After the smoke from our opponents blows away, we head to a comm-link on a building. I hit the red button on it and hear someone say, "HQ! Requesting this zone be designated for higher security." "Roger. Upgrading security status." Someone else says back.

We head up some stairs beside it, as we head up, we hear sirens. As we hear the sirens, we head into the building on top of the one we are standing on.

Once inside we get a call from Boris. Marie adjusts her goggles as I accept the call.

"Raiden, Nightmare, what's your status?"-Boris

"They trashed our car. We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."-Marie

I nod in confirmation.

"...Do you both really have to do this?"-Boris

"Look. We're fed up, with all of it. Companies like ours-yours, bend the laws when it suits business."-Me (yelling)

"Why not bend it when it can save innocent lives?"-Marie (Calmly with a hint of anger in her voice)

"Raiden, Callista."-Boris

"Boris, listen to us. That VR training...They'll be warped into killing machines. They'll be set on POWs, civilians...It'll be one atrocity after another."-Marie and I

"Like what you both went through…"-Boris (guilt in voice)

"We can't have any more Jack the Rippers/Ripper's Shadows. You saw what happened with George. We're doing this, Boris. We have to. We can't save those kids from becoming cyborgs, but we can stop them from becoming murderers."-Marie and I (yelling)

Marie stops talking after she says her old nickname from back in the day.

"Say you both succeed-say you both get all the brains back. Then what?"-Boris

"Just so happens we know un great cybernetic surgeon."-Me

"Doktor. But he cannot-."-Boris

But Marie interrupts him.

"You won't change our minds, Boris. This is our fight now."-Marie

"And your wife/mom and son/brother? What of them?"-Boris (questionably)

"They are in New Zealand. Safe. Rose would understand why we have to do this."-Me

Marie couldn't say this without almost tearing up since I knew she misses them very badly.

"All right, dam you both…You do realize Marshal has the contract for law enforcement throughout the city? They are the law in Denver."-Boris.

"Yeah, we've met."-Marie and I.

"Well then...Officially, Maverick Incorporated condemns you both and both of yours actions as unlawful… ...and the pain in the butthole. Now increase both of yours codec encryption. Do not worry about the lag."-Boris

Marie giggles when Boris talks.

"And unofficially?"-Marie and I.

"I'll do all I can over the codec to help. I do not like what those mudaki (a$$hole-Russian) are doing any more than you both."-Boris

"Spasiba, tovarich, spasiba. (Thank you tovarich, thanks.-Russian)" -Marie and I.

Marie adjusts her goggles back on her head. We head up the stairs in the back. Then down a hallway on the right and turn left close to the end of the hallway. Marie grabs her Ipod from her pocket and I hear "Pretty Handsome Awkward" By The Used on our comm-links, but it's just the instrumental version. She then puts it back and hits a big silver button on the keypad on the wall.

The door slides open from the middle, allowing us to go through. As we head in, the windows on the right of us break because of two medium MGs. I notice Marie already has Leopard Claw out and is charging at one MG. I shake my head at her with a little smile on my face, but grab my sword and charge at the other.

I notice it is the cow ones again. I sigh but I could tell Marie knew they are the cows again. I hear an annoyed groan come from her in which causes me to laugh at her.

Callista's POV:

When Dad tells me the MGs we are up against is the cows again, I groan in annoyance. I hear him laugh at me, which gets me a little ticked off. I start swinging Leopard Claw harder at my enemy wanting to get over with it quickly. At the moment when I get the MGs guard down, I grab the front part of it and swing underneath it to get myself into the air. I do a few freestyle flips as I swing Leopard Claw at it.

Once my feet land on the floor behind it, it blows up and I notice the little MGs, who was with our French friend we have defeated. I take care of them while Dad is finishing his.

After the smoke clears up, we head to the other side of the room. Then a message from Wolf comes up on our comm-links.

"Raiden, Nightmare, you both will find an elevator inside that office. Use it to reach the roof. Traveling atop buildings will minimize enemy encounters."-Wolf

I tell him thanks as we head through a doorway and turn right. But our movement catches the enemy's attention. So I went ahead and start attacking the enemy to clear a pathway for Dad. But I'm hit a few times by the rockets, so I grab a nano-repair spine from any of the enemy before they blew up.

As the coast becomes clear, I tell Dad it's clear. He runs to me and we go in the elevator. He hits the close button and we get the chime we're getting a call. My music automatically turns down as I slip my goggles on as he accepts the call from Doktor.

"Dok, what's your status?"-Dad and I.

"I am reviewing the pre-flight checklist now. I have hired contractors to handle shipping the brain units. We should be airborne in just a few minutes…"-Doktor

"Are you sure you can pilot that chopper by yourself?"-Dad

"Raiden, Callista-of course! Need I remind you both that we live in the golden age of unmanned flight? Even manned helicopters possess a robust semi-automatic mode. It is simple, really. So simple that I can continue to monitor both of yours statuses and World Marshal security from the pilot's seat! I must say, for the world's largest PMC, their security procedures are quite poor-quite poor. Sadly I did not have the necessary permissions to overwrite their plans. Nevertheless, the data I did find should prove most useful. So please, do feel free to contact me whenever you both like."-Doktor.

"Appreciate it, Dok."-Dad and I

"Well, it's not every day one has the chance to collect so many brains… think of the data! The research ...Oh, and of course both of yours personal safety was a concern as well…"-Doktor

As his screen logs off, I put my goggles back on top of my head. We both get out of the elevator and head forward. We jump down on another building's roof and run to the other side of the roof. Grabbing two empty oil drums and jumping up onto a lifter with its neck already fully outstretched. We run to the end and notice a few enemies on the roof we have to get onto next.

I went first jumping off the lifter. I do a few random directional flips before landing on my feet on the other building's roof. Dad comes after me but didn't do what I did, while in the air.

We get into our oil drums and walk about halfway to the back area from where we just landed. We take off our disguises in order to jump up onto another part of the roof. Then we put them back on, but Dad makes a mistake moving when the enemy looking in our area. So we take our disguises off and run up the stairs we are by.

When we get to the top of the stairs, we jump onto another roof and turn left. After turning left, we jump off a platform at the same time.

Once we land on the roof, the enemy gives up on us, which is a relief for us. We go up another set of stairs and turn left again, then went up a ladder. After we get up, Dad and I run a little bit ahead. But another enemy stops us in our tracks. He jumps off the part of the roof he previously was on and comes at us.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	17. Travel From Roof to Rail & Old Friends

_Recap from last chapter:_

 _When we get to the top of the stairs, we jump onto another roof and turn left. After we turn left, we jump off the platform at the same time._

 _Once we land on the next roof, the enemy gives up on us, which is a relief for the both of us. We then go up another set of stairs and turn left again, went up a ladder. After the both of us get up, dad and I run a little bit ahead. But another enemy stop us in our tracks. He jumps off the part of the roof that he previously on and comes at us._

 _Present time:_

Callista's POV:

"Raiden, I sense three more coming our way. One is in front of us and the other two are ones with wings. I will take the wing MGs, while you take the muscle MGs. Not unless you want me to take on the muscle MGs, while you take on the wing MGs this time."-Me

"Actually I will take on the wing MGs this time, you can take on the muscle MGs. I actually might have something to help you quickly take care of these MGs."-Dad1

He hands me a staff, I instantly recognize as Mistral's staff, L'Etranger. I do a few tricks with it like how Mistral did, away from him. I then signal to him, he can go on ahead to the wing MGs. I sense him nod his head and moves to another part of the roof to take care of his opponents.

I taunt him with L'Etranger and he comes at me. A Cheshire smirk comes to my face as I come at him. He tries swinging at me, but I dodge and move behind him. I swipe L'Etranger at him many times, a few times L'Etranger went into its whip form before my opponent turns around to try swinging at me again.

While dodging the swings from him, I couldn't see him quickly backhand swings his hammer at me, but I did sense it with my echolocation. I quickly block it with L'Etranger, then push the hammer away. I wait for him to take a swing at me again. When he did, I swipe L'Etranger at the same time. In which causes my opponent to become confused, letting his guard down.

With his guard down, I quickly switch my weapons and do a flip causing the both of us to go into the air. I do many combos of horizontal and vertical swipes at him. Then grabbing the nano-repair from in his back. As I land on the ground into a crouch position, I crush it as my victim blows up behind me.

But after I crush it, I suddenly feel really dizzy and small black spots come into my view. I feel my body sway a little as I put my left hand on my forehead and fall to a crouch position.

I could faintly sense Dad checking on me after I fell. I hear him quickly finish off his opponent and run to me. I sense him right beside me as his right hand goes under my right arm and his other goes around my waist.

He gently helps me up and I lean heavily on him for support as we slowly walk over to the barrier. He takes his right hand off my arm and helps me take my pack off my back before helping me sit down. As he grabs my water bottle from in my pack, I lean my back onto the wall by the stairs.

Dad hands my water bottle as he places my pack beside me. I put my water bottle on my lap and look up at him with my right hand over my eye to block out the sun.

"Raiden go take...*pants*...care of the last...MG, I will stay...*pants*...here and try to get...my bearings straight again….The last one is in...*pants*...the corner of the area...by the ladder...*pants*...we went up on.*pants*"-Me (Panting heavily)

"Don't try speaking right now, just take deep breaths, Nightmare. I will finish the rest of this battle quickly. Try getting some rest and get water in your system while you wait for me. And this is an order, not a plea."-Dad

I slowly nod to him as I grab my water bottle off the ground. I did as told by taking small sips of water and take deep breaths as I put my left hand back on my forehead.

Just as he said, he takes care of the last MG quickly and takes the nano-repair out of his opponent's back. He runs back over to me and hands me it. I slowly take it from him and crush it with his help. This time the dizziness and black spots go away.

I take one more sip of my water and quickly put my water bottle back into my pack. I carefully get up with his help. When I'm fully standing, I nod my head to him signaling he can release me. He nods back and slowly releases his hold on me but with his arms out for just in case I fall again. But I didn't have any trouble standing on my own.

'I guess I was dehydrated and the effects on my body were really bad. Man I really need to take care of myself better.'-Me (In thought)

"You feeling better now, Marie? You look like you were going to pass out after you beat your opponent."-Dad (Worried)

"Yeah, I am Dad. I guess I was getting dehydrated either from the heat or from not enough water breaks in between each fight we get into."-Me (Shrugging shoulders)

"Okay but if this happens again, I won't hesitate to take you out of the fight. Your health is my top priority or your mother will have my head for sure. Also, I'm going to make you take water breaks for just a few minutes in between each battle too."-Dad

"Yeah."-Me (Sheepishly rubbing back of neck)

We both nod our heads in agreement and head up the stairs.

Raiden's POV: (During the battle)

After I gave Marie, L'Etranger, I head off to the winged MGs.

Once I get to them, I dodge a few bullets being that are being shot at me. I jump up to their level and do a few vertical swipes at both of their wings to de-wing them. After their wings are destroyed, they both crash to the ground and I swipe at one. I get hit by the other one, but it wasn't to much damage. So I do a few horizontal/vertical swipes at the one in front of me, before grabbing the nano-repair spine. I quickly crush it, feeling it heal my wounds I have and start attacking the other one.

Right in the middle of my battle with my other opponent, I quickly take a glance behind me and notice Marie swaying before falling into a crouched position on the ground with her left hand on her forehead.

'No. Not my baby girl.'-Myself (In thought)

I quickly look at my opponent and slash him at speeds he couldn't register. I quickly run over to her. I gently put my right hand under her right arm and my other around her waist. I gently lift her onto her feet and let her lean on me as we slowly walk to a wall by the stairs. I slowly release my right hand from her arm and gently take her pack off of her before helping her sit down. She leans her back on the wall as I grab her water bottle from her pack. I hand it to her as I put her pack beside her.

She puts her water bottle on the ground beside her and then looks up at me with her hand over her eye to block out the sun.

"Raiden go take...*pants*...care of the last...MG, I will stay...*pants*...here and try to get...my bearings straight again….The last one is in...*pants*...the corner of the area...by the ladder...*pants*...we went up on.*pants*"-Marie (Panting heavily)

"Don't speak right now, just take deep breaths, Nightmare. I will try to finish the rest of this battle quickly. Try getting some rest and get some water in your system while you wait for me. And this is an order, not a plea."-Me

She nods to me as she slowly takes her water bottle off of the ground. She does as told and takes a few small sips of her water. She also takes a few deep breaths as she puts her left hand back onto her forehead.

I quickly rush to where Marie told me where my last opponent is. Just like I told her, I quickly took care of him and took his nano-repair from him. I turn back around and run over to her.

Once I get back to her, I hand it over and help her crush it, since she's having difficulty trying to crush it.

After crushing it, I could see the color coming back to her skin. She takes one more sip of her water and quickly put her water bottle back into her pack.

I carefully help her onto her feet and when she is fully standing, she gives me a nod of her head as a signal I can release my hold on her. I nod back to her and slowly release my hold on her, but I still kept my arms out for just in case she falls back down.

But I notice she is not having any trouble standing on her own. So I put my arms back to my sides. I notice a look on her face meaning she is in thought.

"You feeling better now, Marie? You look like you were going to pass out after you beat your opponent."-Me (Worriedly)

"Yeah, I am Dad. I guess I was getting dehydrated either from the heat or from not enough water breaks in between each fight we get into."-Marie (Shrugging shoulders)

"Okay, but if this happens again, I won't hesitate to take you out of the fight. Your health is my top priority or your mother will have my head for sure. Also, I'm going to make you take more water breaks for a few minutes in between each battle too."-Me

"Yeah."-Marie (Sheepishly and rubbing back of neck)

We both nod our heads in agreement and head up the stairs.

(Back to present time)

We head up and on another part of the roof. An enemy sees us, Marie go at him with L'Etranger in her hand. I notice Marie is doing a few moves Mistral did when we went up against her.

After a few swipes with L'Etranger, she is able to defeat her opponent. But while she is fighting her opponent, I notice a helicopter not far away from the both of us. So I switch weapons from my sword to a rocket launcher. I load the launcher with a rocket and lock onto it.

The rocket makes a direct hit on the helicopter as I load another rocket into it as I have to dodge bullets too. I lock the second rocket at it and makes another direct hit. While I was going to reload the launcher again, I notice I am out of rockets.

So I switch back to my sword. I keep dodging bullets and rockets from the helicopter. When it got close to me, I swipe at it from the underbelly. It moves to another part of the building.

I hear an explosion from where Marie is and notice her opponent is beaten. I also take note she is in the blind spot of the helicopter's view. So I distract it long enough for her to jump above it.

She does three horizontal swipes and four vertical swipes at the helicopter before blowing up. Marie lands close to me and we went to a red platform, another apart of the roof we are on.

We jump off it and onto another building's roof. Then head right, we jump down onto another roof and I quickly spot another enemy. I tell her to stay put as I put my disguise on. I slowly creep around and stay still when it is looking in my direction. When his back is to me, I went up behind him and took my disguise off. I quietly unsheath my sword and stab him in the back where his heart is.

I quietly whistle signaling Marie it is good to come out. She does and we continue on. But I didn't notice the others until I see Marie grab her pistol and shoot down two more enemies in their foreheads. I nod in thanks and she does the same as she puts her pistol back into its holder.

We turn left around a corner and went straight. But before we could get any closer to the end of the building. We get a message from Wolf on our comm-links.

"You both cannot proceed any further via the rooftops. There is a freight railroad underground. The elevator ahead will take you both to it."-Wolf

Marie thanks Wolf before our comm-links log off.

We turn left to the building and head to a bar door. I cut the fence down and we head into the elevator shaft.

Once we are both on top of the elevator, I cut the cables causing it to makes sparks as it's falling to the ground. I feel Marie latch herself to my back as we fall.

When the elevator hits ground level making a very loud bang. My feet hits the roof, Marie releases her grip and her feet hit the roof beside me. We then went straight through a doorway and into the underground freight railway. But stopped by the chime of a call from someone.

Marie moves her goggles over her eyes as I accept the call. The screen comes up with Wolf's picture.

"This must be the railroad…"-Me

"It would appear so. Likely part of Denver's old system. This city was a major transport hub in the early years of freight trains. This particular line appears to have been abandoned some time ago. It was originally constructed to transport supplies to an underground factory. But now it seems even the electrical system is no longer functioning."-Wolf

"Yeah, it's pitch black in here…"-Marie and I

"As a cyborg and half-borg, I trust this is not a serious concern."-Wolf

Then his screen logs off.

Callista's POV:

After Wolf's screen logs off. I adjust my goggles back onto my head. I close my good eye and use echolocation to see where I am going. Dad does the same thing. I notice he's going to a crate. He kicks it open, grabbing the item from in it. I look behind me and see a bar door.

I take Leopard Claw out and slash the door apart. I sense Dad is beside me and head on down a set of stairs, then head to our left. I echolocate and see a few enemies up ahead, but I ignore them and grab Dad's hand.

We continue further into the tunnel but reached a dead end until I look up. I lift my hand which is holding Dads as a signal for us to go up. I sense him nod and we both jump up onto a train car. We jump up two more times then I notice we have to go down. I do the same thing with our link hands and he nods in understanding.

We jump behind an enemy, I silently take out Leopard Claw and slit his throat. After I did this, I grab the body, slowly lowered it to the ground in order to not alert the others we are here.

Once the body is fully on the ground. We continue to head further into the tunnels. But I echolocate and sense some up ahead. I take a closer look and sense they are the Geko MGs.

"Raiden up ahead there are a few Geko MGs, so be careful."-Me (Whispering)

Dad nods since he knows his voice is a little louder than mine when trying to whisper.

So we continue on and I have Leopard Claw out. I sense the Gekos coming closer to us. I stop walking in which makes Dad stop. I let his hand go and sneak up on them. I quickly take care of them before they sound the alarm to the others.

I echolocate but notice another MG and it's a big one. I quickly try to head back to Dad, but before I could even reach him, the big MG spots me and jumps on top of me. Dad hears this and runs to my rescue. He hit the MG off of me and I quickly get up. But then the MG grabs him by his shoulders with one hand and slams him on the ground a few times.

This time I come to Dad's rescue and cut the MGs arm off which holds him, off. He falls to the floor as it yells in pain. I quickly do the same thing with its other three limbs before stabbing in its face. After it blows up, I quickly echolocate ahead and see we have to jump up onto a train.

I quickly grab Dad's hand and point our joined hands up. I jump up first then he does.

"Raiden, get into your disguise to not alert the enemy we are here. I'll be behind you and tap on the side of the disguise where the enemy is. You have to go the opposite direction."-Me (Whispering)

He nods and he gets into his disguise. I get behind him and continue to echolocate ahead of us. I see a few more MGs up ahead and gently tap the side I see them. We continue to do this until Wolf comes onto our comm-links.

"There is a maintenance shaft up ahead. Use it to return to the surface."-Wolf

We continue forward until we get to another level and Dad quickly gets out of his disguise. He jumps up beside me and we jump up one more level before he puts his disguise back on. We turn left and notice there are not many enemies. So I double tap on the drum and he get out of his disguise again.

He goes after the only big MG, while I go after the Gekos. I quickly finish them off and help him take care of the big guy. After it blows up, we head to the back of the room, then turn right and went straight until we see light.

Once we get into the room full of light we get a call from Wolf. I quickly put my goggles on as Dad accepts Wolf's call.

Raiden's POV:

"Raiden, Callista. It would appear your only way forwards is to return to the surface. You both will exit an evacuated commercial district. Security is heavy, but you both need not worry about collateral damage when engaging the enemy."-Wolf

"About time...Finally we can cut loose."-Marie and I

"Proceed to the right from the exit. You both will find a stairway on your right. Those stairs lead to a shortcut to World Marshal headquarters. Do not be distracted by the advertisements. You both are not here as tourists."-Wolf

"Sure."-Marie (Sarcastically)

"We'll just buy a quick souvenir or two for Rose and that'll be it."-Me (Sarcastically)

"Raiden, Callista, we must hurry."-Wolf

"...Remind me to teach you about sarcasm sometime."-Marie

"I understand your attempts at humor. I simply do not find them entertaining."-Wolf

Then his screen logs off. We continue forward until we reach a barred door in our way. Marie takes out Leopard Claw and cuts the door in half, then kicks the door in.

"Ladies first."-Marie

I shake my head at her but still go in with her behind me. We head through the door and go left. Then went through another set of doors before making it outside.

"Raiden, Callista, you both have almost reached World Marshal headquarters."-Wolf (On comm-links)

We continue forward until the both of us sees a big Geko on top of the bridge. When it sees us, it starts shooting. We dodge the bullets and go under the bridge. A few cops come after us and we split up.

I have two cops go after me and I see two go after Marie. I swipe at one and they both dodge out of the way. I'm able to slash at one before he could hit me, which causes him to get confused and let his guard down. I take the opportunity to throw him into the air and do a few horizontal and vertical combos on him. I quickly take the nano-repair and crush it while in the air.

When my feet hit the ground, I went to the other cop. I quickly finish him off, then noticing Marie has finished hers and is waiting on me.

"It appears there are enemies on the overpass. I suggest cutting the road supports. That should bring it down."-Wolf (On comm-links)

I nod to Marie and she does back. We take sides and slash at the support. Which causes the bridge to crash and make the big MG crash down too. Both Marie and I go at it from the left and right. We take turns slashing until it gets confused enough to let it's guard down. I grab a handle on the front of it and slide myself underneath its legs as Marie jumps into the air. She cuts at the front part of it while I cut it from the back.

Once we land on the ground the MG blows up and a few seconds later the barrier comes down.

"Enemy ahead, Shadow and Raiden. Avoid fighting if you both can…"-Boris (Comm-links)

We maneuver around the barriers and make sure we don't get spotted by the enemy. We get into our disguises and head up a set of stairs. We turn right and straight from there.

We stay on the right, sneaking behind a chief cop. I get out of my disguise, stabbing him in the back as Marie quickly finishes him. I grab the arm we need and we go back into our disguises.

We wait until the others move away so we can move on, but they got a little suspicious about two oil drums on the stairs. But then they go away to another area. We decide to go ahead and move, but we made the big mistake of moving then. So we get out of our disguises and run up the stairs.

"The stock LQ-84 Fenrir. Unable to speak. A real dog has a far greater intellect."-Wolf (Comm-link)

We spot what Wolf is talking us about and Marie gets it's attention away from me as I take care of the cops in our way.

Callista's POV:

"Hey mutt face, I got a bone to pick with you. Come and get me."-Me (Taunting)

The Fenrir comes at me, while I see Dad take care of the cops by him. I take out L'Etranger and take a few swipes at the dog unit before it could reach me with its claws. I hit it a few more times before switching back to Leopard Claw.

After switching, I have a harder time trying to land a hit, but I'm able to get a few good horizontal hits to get rid of the gun on it's back. Then I went absolutely crazy on it with both vertical and horizontal slashes. I quickly put Leopard Claw away and grab the nano-repair unit, crushing it with both of my hands.

Once the mutt blew up, I see Dad just finish crushing his last nano-repair unit. Then we meet up and head forward. But we both see a familiar face on the advertisement boards.

"Seriously now, Raiden and Shadow, isn't this all a bit much? Any decent lunatics would've quit after Mexico."-Sam

"Jetstream Sam."-Dad and I

"I heard you chopped the lab director in half. Old habits die hard, eh, Jack?"-Sam

"Actually Sammy, it was me who did it. Also, you do know the saying don't get between a mama bear and her cubs? Yeah, me being the mama bear, the lab director was between my cub and I."-Me

"Oh my apologies, Shadow. But now here you both are, the child soldiers, fighting for the children. Hahahahaha. Please. What do you really expect to accomplish here? Ah, but you're a duo on a mission, aren't you both...Gonna fix everything, just you both and your little swords there. Solve everything with violence, is that it?"-Jetstream Sam

Both dad and I grip our swords in anger.

"Our swords is a means to an end: to protect those you'd prey on."-Dad

"Really? Lemme ask you both: All those cyborgs you've both killed, up to now...Maybe they weren't kids, but they were people. You both ever think about them? When you're chopping them into hamburger?"-Sam

"They're adults. They...made their choice."-Me (Confusion in my voice)

"Sure, they're adults. Sure, they signed up for this."-Sam (Moves screen from in the small TV in front of us to the right of us)

"Right on the dotted line of their PMC contract. Usually they're no strangers to war. In fact, many times they already lost a limb or two. Many times they were out of work and starving on the street."-Sam (Walks off the right screen and into the TV screen in front of us)

"So yes...They sign up for surgery, to fight God-knows-where."-Sam (Moves screens on the left of us)

"How else would you provide for your family when your country's embroiled in civil war?"-Sam (Move from left screen to big screen in front of us)

"Pain receptors shut down, pumped full of fear-inhibiting nanomachines, and sent right into the blenders...both your blenders...But they made their choice, right? Open your eyes and see, Raiden and Shadow."-Sam (Dad looks away from the screen with Sam on it)

"I've seen plenty."-Dad and I (Same time)

"Then listen. Those battlefield emotions that the nanos suppress...Listen to them."-Sam

"What are you talking about?"-Dad

"Shhhh…"-Sam (Puts index finger over his mouth and then hand over his ear)

We both look behind us as we hear fast footsteps heading to us. We see two cops running from the left and faces us.

"There they are!"-Chief cop

They take their batons out and the chief already has the electricity turned on.

"Kill them!"-Other cop

The other cop slashes his baton down to extend it and the electricity turned on it too.

Raiden's POV:

(A/N: The parentheses that say in head, is what Raiden can hear. But Callista cannot hear the cops voices.)

"Can we take them?"-Cop on left side (In head)

"What's wrong?"-Chief cop (Outloud)

"The way they killed all the others...Oh god."-Chief cop (In head)

Both Marie and I get into defensive positions and back up as the cops slowly coming at us.

"Please, God...don't let me die."-Cop (In head)

"Let's do this!"-Chief cop (Out loud)

Both cops come at both of us. The cop on the left comes at me and the chief cop goes for Marie.

"I have a family. This isn't fair."-Cop (In head)

"Little punks!"-Other cop

"Listen closely, now."-Sam

"Listen closely to what, Sam? I cannot hear anything. Raiden do you hear anything?"-Marie

I don't answer her question and neither does Sam.

"Die!"-Chief Cop (To Callista)

"I didn't ask for this life!"-Chief Cop (In head)

"I watched my wife and son die...This is all I had left."-Another cop (In head)

"You both ain't crap!"-Other Cop (Out loud)

Both cops come at us with their batons raised in the air and we both dodging their attacks, but I am a little more distracted than Marie. Both of us are cornered with our backs close to a tree. I block the attack from the chief cop, while Marie blocks the attack from the other cop.

"Goddam IED took my legs. I needed a job!"-Chief Cop (Sam laughing in the background)

"Stop!"-Me

"Raiden, what is going on?"-Marie

I continue not answering as I shove the cop away from me. Same with Marie, I shove her behind me as both cops come at us.

"I didn't know what I was signing up for!"-Chief Cop

I block the attack from the other cop but didn't notice the chief coming at me from the side, about to swing his baton. The baton nails my stomach, while the other cop nails my lower jaw causing me to go flying to my right. I tumble a few feet before stopping on my stomach. Marie runs over to me and kneels on my left side.

"Is something the matter, Raiden, and Shadow?"-Sam

I start coughing as I try getting up with help from Marie. I wipe away blood from my mouth and look to where the cops are.

"I've nearly saved enough to bring mama to the States…"-Chief Cop (In head)

"Finish them off!"-Chief Cop

"Whatever it takes to be free of this torture!"-Other Cop

"STOP IT!"-Me

"Raiden!"-Marie

I get into defense with Marie beside me doing the same.

"What am I even fighting for…?"-Me

"We finally make it to the States, and for this…?"-Cop #3

"How the heck did I wind up like this, fighting for these guys…?"-Cop #4

Marie takes on two cops while I take on the other two. I move to the center of the plaza, while she moves away to a side closest to where I am. I start swiping at the cop closest to me, he dodges a few of my attacks but I nail a few good hard hits on him. Seeing in my peripheral vision, Marie is doing good also.

"Jesus Christ...What the heck was I thinking? Why would I do this to myself?"-Cop #3

I finish off my first cop with a single vertical hit to the head and took his nano-repair unit. Then I went to my next one, which comes at me while I take the nano-repair unit. But I finish him off with five horizontal swipes across his body.

"Even moving to America...Didn't change anything…"-Random cop

"There's no reason for me to be here…"-Cop with rocket launcher

I help Marie with her last one and he has a rocket launcher in his hand. We quickly finish him off, but I was so winded, I had to take a knee. She comes to my right side with her left hand on my shoulder.

"Raiden, Nightmare, are you both injured?"-Wolf

"I thought they had a choice. A fair choice. Not like you."-Me

"Raiden is that why you were so distracted during the battle."-Marie

I nod to her and she goes down into a crouch position. She hugs me in comfort I guess for both herself and me.

"People are different."-Wolf

"As opposed to AIs? You're all the same, huh? You and your brothers. Manipulating mankind for our own good."-Me (Anger in my voice)

Marie has her hand on my hand holding my sword as I stand up.

"It appears my statement has upset you. I apologize."-Wolf

Marie takes her hand off of mine and moves to the other side of me to be in between Wolf and me. She has her hand on top of Wolf's head and rubs it gently.

"No, it's...I know you're right."-Me (With a little hint of anger still in voice)

"As for AIs, we adapt as we learn. Just as any intellect operates, man or machine. Altering the course of mankind is not among my defined directives."-Wolf

"I guess that's a relief."-Marie and I

"Samuel's behavior does not match established parameters."-Wolf

"You know him?"-Me

"Affirmative. Nightmare does too, but not as long as I have. We served together on three previous missions. He proved most capable."-Wolf

I'm shocked my own daughter knows the enemy, but even more so after mentioning her.

"You think highly of him."-Me

"I have always found him...dependable. Until now. Scouting data for the next area."-Wolf

A screen comes up in front of Wolf and I press the button to gain access to the file. Once done Wolf goes over to Marie one more time and she gently rubs his head with affection.

"I'll patrol ahead. You both follow."-Wolf

He moves away from the both of us and goes on ahead. Marie walks onto the left side as I get up from my crouched position. She grabs my hand as a source of comfort and I squeeze to help reassure her I am here for her.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	18. Jack The Ripper & His Shadow are Back

Callista's POV:

"Raiden and Nightmare: Both your current emotional states appears highly volatile. I am sure you both do not intend to abort the mission, but I suggest you both void combat for the time being."-Wolf (On comm-links)

Dad's limping and I try helping him walk around with his left arm around my shoulder. I put my left hand on his chest, where his heart is, and he puts his head on top of mine. We head to where Wolf went off and try to get as far away as we can from the cop cyborgs. We are successful on staying on the right side and I echolocate to where the enemy could be. I see one behind a bus but on the far left side. We go on the right side of the bus and slowly try to pass the cop.

A tank comes out of World Marshal building and another cop coming out. He doesn't look to his left and doesn't see us. But when I echolocate again, I sense two ahead of us. I knew straight away we couldn't pass them without one of them noticing us. So we went on.

One cop spots us and alerts the others. I take Leopard Claw out with my left hand and Dad already has his in his right hand. When the cops come at us, we double team and swipe our swords at them away from each other. We're able to land a few hits on them but it didn't do much damage to them.

'We are not getting anywhere with this. Screw it.'-Me (In thought)

I try to get Dad and me closer to the building, but see Sam coming out of the building. So I start heading to him.

"Not so black and white now, is it? Is your cause just, or is that "just" what you both tell yourselves?"-Sam

"Fudge you."-Dad

"Sam, call off your goons. NOW!"-Me

We both are able to get close to Sam and he calls off the goons. But then I sense someone else is in the area. Dad falls to the ground in a crouch position and I crouch beside him.

"How pleased you both are to chop away, Jack the Ripper and his little Shadow. My name is Monsoon...of the Winds of Destruction."-Monsoon

We both look up to where the voice is coming from.

"Yeah...I guessed as much."-Dad and I

I sense a smile on Monsoon's face, echolocating where he is and see purple electricity go around him as he brings his arms into an "x" shape. He then leaps off of the building. I notice his body going into pieces, with purple electricity in between the pieces, as gravity brings him down to our level.

When he lands, his feet leave craters and his body comes back together like a magnet. Sam laughs and I think he is saying in his head, 'show off'. Then the purple electricity then stops emitting off of his body as he squeezes his hands into fists and cracks his neck from the left to right. He looks over to Sam and he gives him an angry shrug with an angry sigh.

"Feasting on the insides of both of your enemies. How easily you both ignore the loss of life when it suits both of your convenience. So tell me: Who saves the weak from the ones who saves the weak?"-Monsoon (Persuading)

"You're the ones exploiting them."-Me

"You take advantage of their weakness…"-Dad

"Of course they get hurt when you set them up as your human shield."-Dad and I

"Kill or be killed, Jack, Shadow. Phnom Penh taught me that."-Monsoon

"Yes, you both aren't the only ones to grow up on the killing fields. War is a cruel parent, but an effective teacher. Its final lesson is carved deep in my psyche: That this world, and all its people, are diseased. Free will is a myth. Religion is a joke. We are all pawns, controlled by something greater: Memes. The DNA of the soul. They shape our will. They are the culture-they are everything we pass on. Expose someone to anger long enough, they will learn to hate. They become a carrier. Envy, greed, despair...All memes. All passed along."-Monsoon (Ranting)

"How about "full of crap"?"-Dad

"Is that a meme?"-Me

"You both can't fight nature, Jack. Shadow. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak. Sam tells me you both see your weapons as a tool. Something that saves lives-a means of justice. Now there's a pretty meme. Exquiste! It spared you both the burden of all the lives you'ves taken… ...Absolved you both of guilt when you both enjoyed it. That is, until the illusion was broken. Don't be ashamed. It's only nature, running its course. Well for Shadow it is only animal instincts kicking in. You both have no choices to make. Nothing to answer for. You both can die with a clear conscience."-Monsoon (Taking out his sais after talking)

(A/N: This is when it starts to get a little gory. I warn you now. Also, don't flag it is the metal gear series. It is always going to have gore in it.)

"You're right. About me, I mean. I knew something was... off. After the Patriots, I thought I could walk off the battlefield and into a normal life. But here I am, surrounded by death, arguing philosophy with terrorists."-Dad and I

"I told myself this was about justice. About protecting the weak. But I was wrong."-Dad

"Both of us were, Raiden."-Me

"Then you both admit it?"-Monsoon

"I learned young that killing your enemies felt good."-Dad

"Really good."-Me

"In America, my friends... my family... They helped us forget the devil inside. But who are we kidding?"-Dad, then I come at the end

"I was born/created to kill."-Dad and I (Raiden-born, Callista-created, smashes fists into floor)

"The bit about our swords-that "means of justice" stuff? We guess we needed something to keep "the Rippers" in check when we are knee-deep in bodies."-Dad then I

"You both…"-Monsoon (Confused)

"But you - all this - is a wake-up call to what we really believe. What we really are."-Dad and I (Same time)

"What are you both saying…?"-Monsoon (Confused even more)

"I'm saying Jack is back."-Dad (Venom in his voice)

"His Shadow too."-Me (Leopard growl come through in my voice and a smile on my face)

We both slowly get up from the ground.

"Kill them!"-Monsoon

I quickly get behind Dad as the enemy come at us. One enemy runs at us with his sword in his hands. He stabs Dad in the stomach. I dodge the sword when it came through his back. I sense another coming at me, but before he could even reach me. I flip over him, grab his head in the air, and snap his neck instantly killing him. But as the body hits the floor, I hear a very familiar laugh come out of Dad's mouth.

I hear a gasp come from where Monsoon and Sam are. I look at them and see Sam make a sound of disgust as he sees Dad with the sword in his abdomen.

"Doktor. Turn off my pain inhibitors."-Dad (Doktor's screen comes up)

"What? This...This is madness! You-"-Doktor (Confused on dad's request)

"Do it!"-Dad

"All right…"-Doktor

I hear Dad yell as he grabs the hilt of the sword in his abdomen and I also see his eye turn blood red like it did when he was Jack. But when he yells, I suddenly get this strange feeling throughout my body. I haven't felt this feeling in a very long time since I was kidnapped by Liquid Snake. This instinct, it's like a wild animal.

A very deep dangerous growl comes out of my throat and I feel my eye go into a slit-like a wild cat. I see both Monsoon and Sam look at me and they both have a very stunned look on their faces. I laugh, but my laugh doesn't sound like my normal one, it sounds animalist.

Monsoon's POV:

'I thought the project was not a success, after all the others weren't successful. But their reports on the last one, before the project was terminated, was incomplete. I guess Shadow is the incomplete one and she's a success.'-Me (In thought)

Jack's POV:

After Doktor turns off my pain inhibitors, I yell out and grab the hilt of the sword in my abdomen. But as I'm taking it out of my abdomen, I hear this deep threatening growl come from behind me. I look in my peripheral vision on my right and see Shadow's only eye go into slit like an angry cat. I hear this animalist laugh come from her as she looks at both Monsoon and Sam.

"Pain... This is why I fight."-Me

I grunt when I pull out the sword from my abdomen. I bend behind as the sword is fully out and my blood sprays out from my abdomen. Then red fog surrounds my body. I see in my peripheral vision Shadow messing with her Ipod and hear a very dark song play over our comm-links.

"This is my normal."-Me

"My nature."-Shadow and I

"You've both lost your minds."-Monsoon

He signals to a lackey to go ahead. He runs at us and slides trying to grab the sword on the ground, but I stab his hand to the ground before he could even touch it. Two more lackeys come at me, I take the sword from the ground with my foot and plunge it behind me at one. I quickly replace my foot with my hand. I do a counterclockwise swing at the two coming at me.

Then I see a blur of purple and silver come from my right side. Next I see a complete butchered body of a lackey in front of me. His right hand still has the sword in it, but the rest of the body is completely dismembered like it was mutilated by a big cat. I see Shadow in front of me with a little bit of blood on her hands and feet, but none on her outfit she is wearing.

Both Shadow and I start laughing from our little fun. Shadow moves her body slowly to my left side, she leans her back on my chest with Leopard Claw in her right hand. She licks her left hand, tasting the blood of her mutilated victim and purrs as I put my left hand around her waist.

"Who's next?"-Shadow and I

I raise my sword in my hand and Shadow raises Leopard Claw alongside mine, but with her other hand with claws for nails. I point my sword to Monsoon and then over to Sam. Shadow moves her sword with mine. Sam moves his arms down and starts walking to us.

"I'll take this dance."-Sam

"No Sam. Report back to the chief. Their mine."-Monsoon (Moves arm to block path)

Sam puts away his sword and leaves his left arm on it to move his sword back behind him.

"You're the boss. Shadow your look is new and I can't wait to dance with it."-Sam

"I can't wait too, Sammy."-Shadow

I growl at what Sam said to Shadow and I tighten my left arm around her waist. Sam sees this, backs off and heads on back to the building.

"I misjudged you both. You both are like us after all."-Monsoon

I feel Shadow put her hand on top of mine and I squeeze it.

"Now you're just being nasty."-Shadow and I (Same time)

We both laugh at the same time as I hug Shadow protectively. She rubs her head underneath my chin and purrs with affection. I smirk at her and I have a feeling she is too.

"Oh, to answer the rhetorical question you have just asked. I did lose my sanity, when Liquid Snake took me away from Jack and Solid Snake. But it is thanks to him, I have my nickname, Jack the Ripper's Shadow. Also I can't wait to sink these claws into that flesh of yours and taste the blood."-Shadow (While checking her new claws out)

"That nickname you love so much - wanna know how I got it?"-Me

I let Shadow go and she moves slowly around to my left side. I move the bloody sword in front of me and wipe my left hand over it. She then goes back onto her Ipod and changes the song.

"Actually - why don't I give you a demonstration?"-Me

"I think it's time for Jack/Shadow... to let 'er rip!"-Shadow and I (Same time)

I then hear a song play over our comm-links called, "Stains of Time." The song plays as Monsoon gets into his battle position. We also get into our battle stances.

3rd POV:

Monsoon is the first one to come at them.

'He is fast, but not up to the speed of Shadow in this new form of hers.'-Jack (In thought)

Shadow quickly switches Leopard Claw to L'Etranger. She is able to hit him with her new speed ability, but her last hit, he blocks it. Jack gets up behind him and is able to get three swipes at him before he jumps away from them.

"I hope that you both choke."-Monsoon

They notice Monsoon is using his wind to stir up the dust in the area to blind them. Shadow echolocates quickly and Jack does too, to see where he is coming from.

Monsoon quickly strikes at Shadow's right and she blocks it with L'Etranger, he jumps back into the dust fog. Next, he strikes at Jack's left, he is able to quickly block it with his sword. He does this about six more times before the fog clears up.

After it clears up, both Jack and Shadow runs at Monsoon. They both try to attack at the same time but he is able to block both moves. He pushes them back and goes after Jack first. Shadow quickly passes L'Etranger over to Jack and he uses it against him. But then he goes after her, Jack passes L'Etranger back to her. She blocks the attack he was going to give her.

She does a few attacks with the staff but also took a few swipes at him with her claw nails. Those attacks are just as effective as L'Etranger. After a few more hits from both nails and staff, Monsoon then switches back over to Jack.

He switches back and forth between the two a few more times before jumping again. But this time he jumps on top of a lamp post. He jumps from the light post to the rooftop of the World Marshal building, then onto the rooftop of the building across from the World Marshal building.

"This one's on me!"-Monsoon

He picks up a tank with his magnetic ability and throws it at the duo. They get their swords into striking positions. They both take turns cutting the tank to pieces before it falls to the ground in pieces and blows up.

"Left hand rule!"-Monsoon

Monsoon picks up two items this time, a helicopter and a tank. He tosses the helicopter to Jack and then tosses the tank to Shadow. They both cut the vehicles into pieces and Jack grabs a flash grenade. He throws it close to Monsoon and blows up in his face. Shadow quickly takes the wide opportunity to dissect the blinded enemy. She cuts off his head, quickly running after it and starts slashing at it.

She is able to get eight solid good hits before his body comes back together. Jack then comes running to her side to block a few of the attacks coming at her.

"Red phosphorous, Jack, Shadow! Infrared is useless!"-Monsoon

He brings the fog back after he said this. Then comes at them nine times at different angles. They both are able to block all the attacks coming at them. The fog lifts and he is standing in front of them, a few feet away.

They both run at him and Jack swipes at him with his sword and Shadow with L'Etranger. They hack at him many times before he leaps back up to the rooftop of the building in front of World Marshal building.

"Welcome to my utopia of death!"-Monsoon

Monsoon lifts up two tanks and a single helicopter from behind the wall. He flings a helicopter at Shadow and a tank at Jack. They're able to destroy the vehicles thrown at them, then he sends the last tank at the both of them. They do the same thing again and after the tank blows up, he sends in three tanks and a single helicopter.

"Magnetic force, Shadow, Jack! Nature's force! Magnetic power!"-Monsoon

He flings two tanks at Shadow and a tank and helicopter at Jack. They destroy the vehicles and pick up the flash grenades the destroyed vehicles drop to the ground.

"I have won this!"-Monsoon

"No you haven't Monsoon!"-Shadow

Shadow throws the flash grenade at Monsoon and Jack runs at him right when it flashes. He only does a single horizontal cut at him before Monsoon's head comes flying off. He then swings at the head eight times before the body comes back together again.

Monsoon runs around the duo a few times before coming at them. Shadow gives Jack L'Etranger and she takes Leopard Claw out. They both slash their weapons at him before he detaches his body at the areas they are slashing at.

"What…?! No...!"-Monsoon

He then jumps up on top of the World Marshal building. He uses his magnetic ability to bring out a huge dirt pile, containing both dirt and vehicles, from the right side.

"Lorentz force! Go!'-Monsoon

He spins the dirt pile horizontal, then vertical and launches it at the duo five times. In between each time he flings the dirt pile, he is throwing explosive barrels at the duo.

After the fifth time, the pile explodes, Monsoon comes down from the building with the purple electricity around his body.

"You both lost this one!"-Monsoon

He swipes his sais at the duo four times before detaching the rest of his body. Jack grabs the flash grenade and throws it at Monsoon's top part of his body. Shadow's turn to slash at him and she does a single vertical slash to cut his head off. Then they both slash at the head, but they couldn't get many hits on it before his body came back to it.

"Have a smoke!"-Monsoon

The fog comes back again and Monsoon hits them eight times at different angles before it dissipates. They try to get a few hits on him but he dodges or blocks all the attacks they swing at him. Again the dust comes back and the duo is on the far right side, they can see a helicopter on the other side of the fence.

"Fear the unseen much, Jack? Shadow?"-Monsoon

"You forgot one thing though Monsoon. Cats can see in the dark!"-Shadow

Shadow does something crazy, she jumps into the fog and uses her ability to see through the darkness. She slashes at Monsoon before he could even land a hit on her Ripper father. They do this six more times, without Jack seeing it but he could hear it, before Monsoon makes the fog dissipate again.

"So this is Jack's and Shadow's terrifying true form, huh?"-Monsoon

Then sending out two tanks and three helicopters from behind the wall. The duo dices the vehicles with ease. Monsoon then sends up six tanks. Again the duo slices and dices the vehicles into little pieces before they could land on the floor.

After the last vehicle blows up, Monsoon jumps back down onto the ground. Shadow throws a flash grenade at him and Jack runs at him. He lands six hard hits at his head. Then she sneaks up behind him and finishes him off with L'Etranger.

But Monsoon gets back up onto the World Marshall building and flings another huge dirt pile at them. He spins it vertical and flings it five times with stray barrels going everywhere every time he flings it at them.

Once the dirt pile comes back after the fifth time, the dirt pile blows up. But the duo doesn't see a monument on the right of them is getting magnetically lifted by Monsoon.

"I'll put you both under, weaklings."- Monsoon

"Are you sure you are not the weakling and not us because weaklings like you would only do this type of thing if they are close to being beaten."-Shadow

"Shut up! Now what will you both do, Jack the Ripper and his Shadow?"-Monsoon

Shadow's POV:

Both Dad and I jump over the monument to dodge it and it lands where we were just at, we then run up it. As we get close to the edge, Dad jumps and I throw L'Etranger at Monsoon as he makes contact with his feet at his body. Dad slams him back into the World Marshal building and slams a foot into his body making him go further and further into the building.

Dad then jumps down, I take Leopard Claw out and finish Monsoon off.

"¡Espero que usted se convierte en un juguete de masticar bien para perro del diablo! (I hope you become a nice chew toy for the devil's dog!)"-Me (While giving the final slash)

I jump off the building before Monsoon's body explodes, but his head comes down with me as I land beside Dad. We then get a call from Monsoon. I leave my goggles on my head as Dad accepts the call and just listen to what he has to say.

"Kill... or be killed…"-Monsoon

"Don't be ashamed."-Me (Growls low)

"It's only nature, running its course."-Dad (Anger in his voice)

"Your memes...end here."-Dad and I (Same time)

"No. I passed one...to you both...Sure as the sun...will rise...The slaughter...will continue...Now I return...to the earth...Wind blows, rain falls...the strong...pray...on the weak...All...is as it should...be…"-Monsoon

Monsoon takes his final breath and his screen logs off. Dad then looks to me with an angry look.

"Let's talk about what happened with Liquid Snake! It is obvious you didn't tell me everything on what happened."-Dad

TO BE CONTINUED….


	19. The Truth on Callista's Kidnapping

**(A/N: This is all mainly going to be in Callista's POV and it might get a little gory throughout it since it is taking place when she was held captive by Liquid Snake.)**

Callista's POV:

"Let's talk about what happened with Liquid Snake! It is obvious you didn't tell me everything on what happened."-Dad

I look down in shame when Dad says this.

"I am sorry, Dad. I was too scared to tell you what happened because I knew you were going to blame yourself for not protecting me well enough. Also, do you remember when I would have nightmares after you rescued me from him?"-Me

"I remember like it was yesterday. Every time I try to get you to tell me on what the nightmare was about, you would just cry your eyes out with me holding you in my arms. Then you would fall asleep again, but you would ask me to stay with you for the rest of the night."-Dad

"Yeah. I know you have been through a lot throughout your whole life. But what I went through with Liquid Snake was so horrific, I didn't want to go through it again, at least at the time. But I think I am ready to tell my story now."-Me

Dad nods and holds my hand. I take a breath as the memories come rushing back to my head.

*Flashback to Callista's kidnapping*

It's night time, Dad and I are patrolling around the perimeters of base. I'm on one side and he is on the other.

"How are things on your end, Nightmare?"-Dad (On comm-links)

"Things are clear here, Jack. What about on your side?"-Me (On comm-link)

"Same thing, Nightmare. Just hang on a little longer, our shift is almost over."-Dad (Comm-link)

"*Yawn* I like the sound of that. I wonder how Grandpa is doing with little Sunny. Do you think Sunny is being a handful for Grandpa, Jack?"-Me (Comm-link)

"I think he is doing just fine with her since he is able to handle you on missions. Also, don't forget he practically raised me, when he found me at your age when I adopted you."-Dad

"Yeah, that is true...Wait hold on I see somethi…"-Me

I felt a needle hit me in the back of my neck. I reach up and take it out. I quickly throw it close to base before I feel the knockout drugs knock me out.

"Jack...help…Needle on grou..."-Me (Comm-link)

"Nightmare, what's going on? Nightmare...Nightmare come in...Nightmare…"-Dad (Comm-link)

This all I could I hear before I completely black out. But I feel someone's arms wrap around me before I hit the ground and carry me bride style.

*Time skip to when she wakes up*

Beep... Beep... Beep...

'Ugh, what happened? Where am I?"-Me (Thought)

I try to move my right arm up to hold my head, but I can't move it. Then I feel something is holding it down, along with my other hand and feet. I try to open my eyes, but I immediately close them because the lighting is too bright for my eyes to handle. I try opening them again a few more times to get my eyes use to the lighting. My eyesight comes back and notice I am on a metal table, strapped down to it. I fidget a little and then hear a door open close to where I am.

"Oh, you're finally awake. Well since you're awake now, I will let the boss know."-Male Nurse

The male nurse opens the door again, walks out of the room I am in, and closes the door. I wait a few minutes to see if anyone else is coming. None, but then hear two sets of footsteps come closer to my room.

I see the male nurse again and someone else. I get a closer look and see that is...Grandpa?

"Grandpa is that you? Why am I strapped down like a test subject?"-Me (Confused)

"One, I'm not your Grandpa, my name is Liquid Snake. And two you are going to be tested with a drug combined with DNA of a certain animal."-Liquid

"What type of animal?"-Me (Confused)

"Confiscated information. There were a few successful ones but then later turn into failures because they went wild. But most of the test subjects were failures."-Liquid

"Shall I go get it, boss?"- Male Nurse

Liquid Snake nods to him and he goes to get whatever they were talking about.

"While we're waiting. How about you tell me how your Grandpa is doing now a day?"-Liquid

"I won't tell you anything on Grandpa or even Jack. You are going to have to torture me to get that information out of me!"-Me

"That is possible unless this test doesn't kill you first. But if it doesn't kill you, we are going to have to do a few other tests to see how the DNA is holding up in your system."-Liquid

Before I say anything else the male nurse comes back in with a little-covered tray in his hands.

"Perfect timing. I am curious to see if the DNA is compatible with this one's DNA."-Liquid

The male nurse nods in agreement and walks over to me with the tray. He places it on the desk beside my bed. He takes the cover off it and I see a syringe with strange color chemical in it. He picks it up, flicks it to get rid of the air bubbles in it and turns to me.

"We are going to have to do a series of every five hours for about seven times, but in different areas. This is a low dosage, but we will increase the dosage a little until the final one. The sixth or final one is when we experience the difficulties with the other test subjects. Are you ready?"-Male Nurse

I give him a dirty look. He nods to me, he wraps a rubber band around my arm and looks for my vein on my wrist. He finds it quickly and brings the syringe close to my wrist.

"You might feel a little pinch on your wrist. Now I will count to three before inserting the syringe, okay."-Male Nurse

I nod as I look away from the syringe.

"One... Two... Three…"-Male Nurse

I feel the little pinch he is talking about as he sticks the needle into it and I feel a little burning sensation, but not enough to cause me to whimper in pain. Then I feel it come out and a medical pad replaces it. The nurse takes the restraints off of my arms and tells me to hold my wrist. I do as I'm told and wrap my hand around my wrist. He tells me, he will be back to give me some water and crackers. I nod again to him as he puts the syringe back onto the tray.

"Good, you have survived longer than some test subjects. A few fight against their restraints before the needle comes even close to them. There were even a few times where I had to actually hold them down in order for the syringe to get into their body."-Liquid

I gave him a look saying, 'do I even look like I'm in a condition to care.' He sees it.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know your Grandpa told you about me. Also, if you need anything all you have to do is look at the camera in left top corner. Wave a hand and when you see a light blinking, you then verbally say what you need. I will have a nurse send down whatever you need."-Liquid

I only nod since I don't trust him. Liquid nods his back and heads to the door. He turns his head back around to me.

"You can trust me on things you need in the future."-Liquid

I only nod again to him as he walks out of my room. About fifteen minutes later I hear footsteps coming closer to my room. I hear it open and see the nurse come in with the items he promised me. He places the food tray on the desk beside me and turns to me. He checks on how my wrist is doing and it seems I would need a clean medical pad to stop the bleeding. He grabs one out of his pocket and switches the one I am holding.

"Clamp back down on this. I will put your tray on your lap, but I will keep the water bottle on your desk."-Male Nurse

I nod to him as I clamp my left hand back over my right wrist. He then puts the food tray on my lap and walks over to the wall by the door. He throws the bloody medical pad and his gloves into a biohazard trash can. He leaves my room after getting hand sanitizer on his hands.

After he leaves, I start eating my crackers on my tray. I also carefully grab my water bottle to get a couple of sips in between a few crackers I eat. When all the crackers are gone, I put the tray back on the desk. I lay down on my bed because I start to feel drowsy.

So, I let my body take over on what it needs and let sleep take a hold of me.

*Time skip Twenty-five Hours Later*

'Since I have first woken up, I have gotten a total of five shots now. Both my wrists, both of my ankles, and in my mouth. The nurse tells me I have only two shots left and they are going to hurt more than the others did. If these two are going to hurt more than my five body parts, then the pain coming to me in the far future should be a piece of cake. But I'm starting to feel changes in my body due to the medicine/DNA they are giving to me. I see my nails are getting sharper and because of this, I have scratched myself a bunch of times. There were a few times where I have actually drawn blood and needed the nurse to come bandage up my wounds.'-Me (In thought)

I come out of my thoughts by sounds of footsteps coming closer to my room. The door opens and I see Liquid come in. He closes the door and takes a seat in the chair left of my bed.

"You truly have surprised me on how long you have survived. I thought you would have only make it up to your fourth shot. But I'm very clearly wrong."-Liquid

"Where are the last two going to be placed?"-Me

"Your sixth shot is going in your tailbone and your last one is on top of your head, but in two different places. Half on one side and then on the other side."-Liquid

I nod to him. As I move my arms from under my blanket and he sees both of my arms are covered in bandages. He also sees my nails are getting pointer than normal too.

"I see your claws are coming in a little quicker than expected. I can have the nurse give you a nail filer when he is giving you your next meal. Also, if you make it through these last two shots, we will need to give you a new nickname. Do you have any suggestions?"-Liquid

"I don't have any ideas on any nicknames for myself. I had everyone I care about come up with a nickname for me. How about you come up with the nickname?"-Me

"Well, you do almost look like a splitting image of Jack if he was a female...I got it. How about Jack the Ripper's Shadow?"-Liquid

"I like it. It is original."-Me

He hums in agreement and radios the nurse to put a nail filer on my food tray for my next meal. He hears a response back and puts the radio back where it belongs. After he does this, we continue to talk for a couple more minutes. But while we are talking I start to get a little drowsy. It seems he could sense it too because he gets out of the chair and walks over to the door.

"It seems like you are getting drowsy. I will let you rest before it is time for the next one. You will need all the energy you can get for this one. Same for the one after it too."-Liquid

I nod and hum in agreement. I move my arms back under my blanket and went to sleep.

*Two Hours Later*

I wake up to a big hand on my shoulder shaking me gently. I open my eyes and rub them. I yawn almost like a cat too and I hear two gasps. I come to my senses quickly after I hear the gasps. I see both men with stunned faces.

"What? What's wrong?"-Me

"Your incisors changed. They are sharper and longer than they normally are."-Male Nurse

I hum on what he said and feel my incisors with my tongue.

'He is right, my incisors are sharper and longer.'-Me (Thought)

While I am doing this, I fail to notice the nurse putting the tray on my desk. But I do feel the cold chill come over me as he took off my blanket. I shiver a little from the coldness of the room.

"I already know the boss told you where the last two shots are going. So, all I need for you to do is sit up on the edge of your bed. I'll have you squeeze your pillow while I'm doing this."-Nurse

I nod my head as I grab my pillow and place it on my lap. I signal to the nurse I'm ready. He gets behind me with the syringe. I feel him push my undergarments down a little bit.

"Okay, I will need you to lean a little bit forward. And just like the last ones, I'm going to count to three before administering the shot into your tailbone."-Nurse

I nod and lean a little bit forward. I brace myself for the pain to come to my tailbone.

"One…. Two…. Three."-Nurse

I feel the needle go into my tailbone and I cry out in pain but fail to notice it sounding like a cry like a cat's. I squeeze my pillow with all of my might. All I can feel is an absolute burning sensation in my tailbone. But I don't feel the needle coming out.

"There done. But I do advise you to lay on your stomach for the rest of the time before we administer your last dosage."-Nurse

I don't say anything, just nod. I release my grip on my pillow and I see I've nearly crushed it from the pressure I was giving it.

"I do not get how you women have strong grips at the most randomness of times. Nor do I get your tolerance of pain."-Liquid

"Actually, women have a higher tolerance for pain because they are the ones having to push out children from their bodies. I have heard childbirth is the most painful thing a woman has to endure in their whole life."-Nurse

"What he said."-Me (Still in a lot of pain)

Liquid picks me off my bed, while the nurse puts my blanket over my bed. Then he helps me get onto my stomach on my bed.

"I will be right back with another blanket and an ice pack."-Nurse

Both Liquid and I nod as he goes get the said items. While he is doing this I gently move my pillow under my head and not under my body.

"Yeah, kid. You have only one lef…."-Liquid

I couldn't hear the rest of what he is telling me because I pass out from all the pain I'm in.

*Time skip Five Hours Later*

I woke up with no recollection of how I fell asleep. But I did see Liquid sitting, staring at the wall by the door.

'I guess he didn't even notice I have woken up. Anyway, how did I even fall asleep with all the pain I have in my butt!'-Me (In thought)

All of a sudden I feel a random pulse of pain come to my tailbone, which causes me to groan in pain. After it leaves my throat, it obviously surprises Liquid out of his trance because he jumps and falls out of the chair. I look over the edge of my bed and laugh at him. He gives me a dirty look and tries to get up from the position he is in on the floor.

After he gets off the floor, the nurse comes in with my last dosage on a tray. He walks over to us and places the tray on the desk.

"You ready for your final one, but I do warn you this is going to hurt more than the combined pain of your ankles, wrists, mouth, and tailbone. Also, you might pass out from all of the pain at the end. But I will come every few minutes to check how you are doing while you are out. Another thing, I will need you to sit up for me to be able to do this. This final shot is the whole reason why most of our other test subjects didn't make it because the pain is too great for their body to handle."-Nurse

I groan in pain as the nurse helps me get into a sitting position. I grab my pillow again and place it on my lap. I give him a look saying, 'get this done and over with.'

He quickly nods and goes on my right side.

"One…. Two…. Three."-Nurse

I feel him move my hair and feel the needle on my head. He makes sure he is not pushing the needle in too deep to go into my brain. Then the next thing I know I'm screaming and squeezing my pillow with a death grip. But fail to notice, my nails turning into claws and digging into my pillow. I feel the needle come out of the right side of my head and see him switch places.

"One…. Two…. Three."-Nurse

I feel the needle go back in my head. I try muffling my scream with my pillow as I squeeze it with a death grip again with my nails digging in deeper into it. Just as he has said, after the needle comes out of the left side of my head, I pass out from all the pain and unconsciously leaned forward. I don't remember what happened after, but I assumed Liquid caught me and with the help of the nurse. They place me into a comfortable position for both my bum and head not to hurt. And the male nurse puts bandages around my head to prevent me from dying of blood loss.

*Time Skip To When Callista Wakes Up*

I wake up and see a hooked up IV and feeding tube attached to me. I lift up my hands to rub my eyes, but before I even could, I quickly put my hands over my ears. I quickly notice a really loud deafening sound coming from the right of me, I whimper at the noise but fail to notice the nurse quickly coming to me. He quickly goes to where the sound is and stops it. I take my hands off my ears but continue to whimper in pain.

"Sorry. I didn't think your ears would be sensitive when you wake. But I guess wrong."-Nurse

I just give him a dark mean look and my look scared him.

"*Gulps* I guess since you are now awake, I will let the boss know. I'll go get him now."-Nurse

He quickly runs out of my room as I plop my head back onto my pillow. A few minutes later I hear two faint sets of footsteps. One being Liquid's and the other being the nurses. I see them come in and I laugh at how flustered the nurse's face is.

"I see you are feeling a little bit better after all you have been asleep for a half of a day. Now you are awake, we can now continue to the next step of the process. We are going to conduct a few experiments to see what things have changed for you. We are going to see if your speed, strength, sight, flexibility, awareness to surroundings, and a few others. Today we are going to do flexibility, speed, and awareness to surroundings. The first thing we are going to try out is your flexibility. So, follow us to another room to test it out."-Liquid Snake

I nod and with the nurse's help to get the IV and feeding tube out of my body. Then he grabs some scissors. I freak out a little, but I feel him cut something off of my head. I see medical wrap get unraveled, then two pads with a little blood. He then hands me a new set of clothing and shoes. I give both of them a look to get out of my room. Both leave my room, letting me have privacy to change into my new clothes.

I get off of my bed slowly and head to the bathroom, which is attached to my room, to change into my clothes. When I get them on, I notice the clothes are workout clothes. The top is just a workout bra, the pants are jog leggings. I head out of my room to put my shoes on. After I did, I practiced a few kicks to test out my pants and notice it lets my legs breath. I then open the door and see Liquid in the hallway, but not the nurse. I see him nods in approval. Then gives me a hand motion to follow him. We go down the hallway and turn a few corners. He stops in front of a door and turns around to me.

"This is a training room meant for test subjects like you. Go on ahead and see what is inside. I will be right behind you and wait for you to get used to the new room. After you get used it, is when we will start up on the exercises."-Liquid

I nod to him and open the door up. I look inside and see on one side there is exercise gym, in the corner close to us, I see a mat with a balance beam on one side and a stereo on the other, and in the far corner, I see a shooting range with all types of guns hanging on the wall.

'I think I'm in heaven.'-Me (In thought)

I hear him laugh at what my face looks like.

'I bet I look like a child on Christmas day.'-Me (Thought)

"Okay like I said before we're first going to test on your flexibility. So, why don't you head over to the mat and balance beam? I already have your Ipod set up to the stereo. All you need to do is choose a song and do whatever you do, while you practice your flexibility moves."-Liquid

I happily nod and head over to the area. I stop when I reach the stereo and grab my Ipod. I search through my playlists to find my gymnastic one. While doing this, I'm taking my shoes and socks off. I find the playlist and hit the play button on it. I then hear the first song, Little Bad Girl by David Guetta, come on. I quickly run to the center of the mat and get into position. I put my left hand on my forehead to look like I'm going to swipe my hair back and I leave my other one at my side. I wait in the position as the music starts.

When the vocals start up I push my hair back. The first thing I do is a backflip, a no handed cartwheel to the right. Next, I do a step-ball-change which goes into two front flips and a handspring. I land with my left foot pointing west and my right pointing north. I do a jump split with my legs going north/south, then front flips onto the balance beam. I put my arms in the air to balance myself and do a front flip with my hands on the beam. Following after this, I do two north/south split jumps. A cartwheel to one side then to the other. Another split jump with my legs going east/west. I do a front handspring off of the balance beam. I next do a swing of my hips to the left, then right, then around like what the song says.

After I doing this move, then doing a front handspring pushing myself into the air doing a double side flip. When my feet hit the floor, I put my hands in the air. I do a split on the ground with my legs going north and south. I put my hands on the ground lifting myself up, pulling on my core to make my legs rotate up and together. I go backward with my feet touching the ground and I pull on my core again straightening myself. I do one more front handspring with me doing two random flips in the air and then land on the floor. I crouch as my final move as the song ends.

I hear clapping behind me as I get out of my position. I'm panting a little as I walk over to him.

"The performance is brilliant. Who taught you all of those moves?"-Liquid Snake

"Actually, I taught myself those moves with pointers from Jack on how to perfect them. I also use a few of those moves when I am fighting, so it is how some few moves are used more than others and also perfected too."-Me (Still out of breath)

He nods in understanding and hands my water bottle to me.

"Well, I guess you are done with this exercise. You are next doing awareness to your surroundings and speed exercise together."-Liquid

"That works for me."-Me (Shrugging shoulders)

He nods as I go over to the stereo to turn off my music.

"Go over to the center of your mat."-Liquid Snake

I do as he tells me and head over to the center of the mat. He comes behind me and puts a blindfold over my eyes, tying it tight around my head, but is careful of the top of my head.

"Try to listen to your surroundings and block the attacks coming at you."-Liquid

I nod as my eyes close and try using my other senses around me. I hear a sound northwest of me. I dodge the attack with my quick reflexes. Then hear three more sounds from my south, northeast, and southwest. I dodge the two attacks coming from the south and southwest of me, but I feel my right leg get nicked from the person northeast of me. I didn't whimper from the pain of the wound and I continue to dodge or block attacks around me for a few hours.

Once Liquid deems this exercise is complete, I'm covered head to toe in scratches.

"Good job kid, to last this long in the exercise. We will pick this back up tomorrow morning and be ready for it is only going to get harder. I'll send a female nurse down to your room and help you dress those wounds. You are dismissed."-Liquid

I give him a dirty look before I head out of the room and back into my assigned one. When I get into my room, I see the female nurse already in there with medical pads and bandage wraps. I sit down on my bed as the nurse does her job on dressing my wounds. Then she helps me get out of my outfit and into a nightgown for me to sleep in.

"I'll have a new outfit out and ready tomorrow. I also brought water and crackers for you to eat before going to bed. Make sure you eat and drink plenty tonight before going to bed."-Nurse

I nod as she leaves. I sigh from exhaustion, but eat and drink to get a little bit of my energy back.

Once I'm done eating and finishing off the rest of my water in my water bottle, I get myself comfortable as possible on my bed and fall asleep.

*Next Day*

*Bang… Bang… Bang*

I fall out of bed and land on the ground. I groan a little bit in pain, but still get up. I head to the door and open it up.

"Rise and shine kid. It is day two of experimenting."-Liquid

I give him a dirty look and shut my door. I quickly grab my outfit and head into my bathroom. I quickly change, I sigh one more time before grabbing the water bottle and fill it up in my bathroom. I head out of my bathroom and out of my room. Then I head to the exercise room to see Liquid is already in there.

"Today, we're going to see how your eyesight is in the shooting range, then we're going to see how far your body can endure weightlifting and run."-Liquid

I hum in agreement as we head over to the shooting range in the room. We both put on some sound muffler earmuffs and I grab a pistol from off of the wall. Liquid grabs a single magazine for it and hands me it. I put it in as a lackey gets a paper target ready for me. He gets behind me and I get my alignment ready and click the safety off as I wait for Liquid to signal me to shoot.

"Ready…Aim…Fire!"-Liquid

I shoot, aim, shoot. I continue this until the magazine is empty. Liquid signals for a lackey to go get the target and he does. As he is doing this, I put the safety back on the pistol, take the magazine out, and place it down on the counter.

Once he comes back with it, Liquid and I both see all of my shots are dead center of the sheet.

"Well, I guess you don't have any trouble at close distance. But how will you do at a very far distance."-Liquid

"I guess we'll find out then."-Me

As I say this, I switch the pistol to a sniper. Again, both the lackey set up another target for me to shoot at a farther distance, and Liquid hands me a single full magazine for the gun. I put the magazine in, click the safety off as I wait for the lackey to get out of the way and for the signal.

"Fire!"-Liquid

I look through the eye scope aligning myself up to hit the center of the target. I shoot, reload and continue to do this until the magazine is empty. Again, the lackey goes get the target sheet as I put the safety back on and take the bullet magazine out.

When the lackey comes back, he hands it to Liquid and we see all my shoots were dead center.

"I forget to mention I was top of my class for this I was taught to shoot with any gun at any range. But when you gave me the DNA shots, it just enhances my eyesight even more."-Me

"You're definitely a true prodigy of Solid Snake and Jack the Ripper. Let's see how you do in heavy lifting and running."-Liquid

I just nod my head as I put the gun back into its place on the wall. Liquid leaves the two paper targets on the counter for me to pick up later. Then we head over to the exercise gym.

The first thing he makes me do is four sets, six reps each, of Dumbbell Bench Presses, with the dumbbells both fifty pounds each, for my upper body horizontal pushing. Next, he has me do three sets, twelve reps each, of Military Presses and Handstand Push-ups for my upper body vertical pressing. Third, he has me do three sets, twelve reps each, of Chin-Ups and Pull-ups for my upper body vertical pulling. Fourth, three sets, twelve reps each, of Bent-Over Barbell Row, with the weights on the barbells thirty-five pounds each, for my upper body horizontal pulling.

He then let me have a small break to cool down, get water into my system, towel off the sweat, and I took the liberty of taking my shirt off because of all the sweat it has absorbed. Then he has me do three sets, twelve reps each, of Barbell Squats, with forty-five-pound weights on the barbell, for my lower body. He lets me take another small break, I gulp down more water before he has me go back out. For the last exercise, he has me do three sets, eight reps each, of Hanging Leg Raises, with five-pound barbell weight attached to my feet, for my core.

Once I finish my last rep of my exercise, I feel my upper body completely whipped, but my legs were not whipped.

"Now you are going to run on the treadmill."-Liquid

I nod my head as I quickly grab my towel, water bottle, and shirt before heading to the area with the running equipment.

When we get to the running equipment, I place my shirt on the ground by the treadmill, and I place my water bottle in the bottle holder. I just keep my towel around my neck. While I am putting my water bottle on the treadmill, I notice an Ipod port on it with speakers on either side of it. I quickly turn to Liquid.

"Can I plug my Ipod into the treadmill and listen to my music while I am running?"-Me

He nods and I quickly get it from the stereo. I unplug it and run back over to the treadmill. I get on it and plug it.

"Okay, I want you to run until you can't feel your legs anymore. Also, you can choose the type of running modes you want to do like for example if you're training for an up-mountain marathon. There is an option on it, which will cause the treadmill to make it feel like you are actually running up a very high hill. Same with other types of running styles too."-Liquid

He shows me all the types I could do. I nod to him when he finishes explaining everything to me.

"Oh, when you are finished, just head back to your room. I'll send someone to pick you up and show you the way to the boxing room. You are going to be tested in the ring, but you need to choose wisely on who you want to go up against. Weapons like knives or even just hand-to-hand combat are allowed to be used in the ring."-Liquid

I hum in response as he says this. I get on the treadmill, look at my Ipod to see the type of music I want to listen to while I'm running, then choose the style of running I want to do on. I hit the start button and I start running at the speed I want to go, then I hit the play button on it. I hear the song, Burn It To The Ground by Nickelback, come on the speakers.

Once the song finishes, the next song comes on, but I notice it's a two-hour nightcore mix of Adam Lambert songs, there are a few I know by heart and a few I don't. I sing along with the ones I know, but as I'm doing this I feel a change in the inclination meaning I'm now onto the part of going up-hill.

As the fifth song of the mix starts up, I grab my water bottle and take a big gulp of my water. Then I put it back and rub my towel against my forehead to remove all the sweat coming down.

*Time Skip One and A Half Hours Later*

When the last song of the mix finishes, I notice I am almost done with the running mode I have started with. My legs are getting so tired, but I try to tough it through.

Once the mode is finished, I stop both the treadmill and my Ipod. I unplug it, grab my shirt and water bottle. I get off the treadmill and see Liquid coming over to me. He walks past me to see what mode I did and for how long.

"You completed the experts mode in just ninety minutes. Very impressive, the other test subjects did this mode too, but didn't make it halfway in ninety minutes. I knew you are a strong one from the beginning. But I wouldn't expect anything less from Solid Snake and Jack the Ripper's prodigy."-Liquid

I listen to what he says as I walk over to the shooting range and grab my two target sheets. I fold them up as I grab my other items and head back to Liquid. He tells me I am dismissed.

After I'm in my room, I threw my shirt on the floor. Putting my target sheets and Ipod on my desk beside the plate of food, grabbing my nightgown, underwear, heading to the bathroom. I take the rest of my clothes off and turn the shower on. I get in, wash my hair and body until deeming myself clean. I turn it off, dry myself off, put my undergarments and nightgown on. I leave my dirty/sweaty clothes on the bathroom floor. I finish off the rest of the water as I eat my food on the desk by my bed.

As the plate is empty of food, I put the water bottle on the plate and head to bed. I yawn on my way to bed and was out like the light when my head hit the pillow.

*Next Morning*

I wake up to the sound of someone banging on my door.

"I'm awake now."-Me

I hear an okay on the other side of the door as I get out of my bed to get changed into the outfit given to me for today. I see my water bottle is refilled and a plate of food on my desk too. I quickly eat half on the plate, grab the water bottle, and another towel to use as a sweat towel. I also grab my target sheets and Ipod and put them in a side pocket of my workout pants. I then head to the door and open to see a lackey there waiting for me.

"I am ordered by the boss to show you the way to get to the ring. Follow me, kid."-Lackey

I grunt and signal for them to lead the way. So, they do and when we get there I already see Grandpa's clone waiting, with his back to me. He turns when he hears the door close.

"You ready to test your abilities in the ring. Also, have you figured out who you want to go up against, Shadow."-Liquid

"Yeah I'm ready, also I want to go up against you in the ring."-Me

"I don't think you know what you are getting yourself into by going up against me."-Liquid

"I think I know and willing to take the chance. Plus I want to see if your fighting style is similar to Grandpas. Hand to hand combat then we do weapons."-Me

"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you."-Liquid

The both of us get into the ring and everyone comes around to see it. We wait for the bell to ring and when it did, we circle each other to see who will attack first. I see him coming at me with a right jab. I block it with my left arm and roundhouse kick him with my left leg. He couldn't block or dodge it quick enough at the speed of my kick. We back up a little from each other, this time I charge at him. I try slamming the palm of my right hand into his face, but he grabs my hand before it makes contact with his face. He then forces my arm to go behind me but doesn't see my left elbow swing until it made contact with his nose. The blow I given, gave me enough time for me to stomp on his right foot with my heel. I twist around, grabbing the middle of his shirt with my right hand and the bottom with my left. I then flip him over my shoulder and onto his back. He quickly gets up and tries to kick me in the head with his left foot but I block it with my own foot.

Our feet go down and we continue to do this until the bell rings. We get in our corners to rest before the bell rings again.

"Hey, Liquid how about we go weapons now."-Me

He just nods with a blank look. I see a lackey coming up to him and whisper something in his ear. I couldn't hear even with my heightened senses for what they were saying because of everyone's cheering. We hear the bell ring and get back into the center of the ring. I quickly see Liquid grab his knife and try to stab my arm with it. But I block his arm with my right arm.

"I just got some news, Solid Snake, Jack and a group are on their way here to rescue you. It's a shame they will be taking back a wooden box with your body in it."-Liquid

I couldn't sense a lackey handing him a sword. But I did sense him putting his knife back into its sheath. I quickly try to kick him with my right leg, but the next thing I know, my right leg cut off right above the kneecap. I couldn't balance myself fast enough after he did this and fall.

Once landed, I try to get back up to fight some more. I'm already on my elbows when I see Liquid come at me again with the sword. I quickly roll out of the way of his attack, but was trapped in my corner. I push myself so my back was on the pole.

Again Liquid swings to the left of me. I try dodging to the right but miscalculated the speed and got my whole left arm cut from the shoulder. I then hear everything go silent. I try to see what caused the room to go silent, but get knocked out by the butt of the sword hitting my forehead.

Before I completely go out, I hear him say.

"We will meet again, my little kitten."-Liquid

*End of Flashback*

"That was...that was all I could remember what happened when I was kidnapped by Liquid Snake."-Me

As I finish telling the story to Dad, I suddenly get hit with a ton of pain all over my body. I start screaming at the pain and fall to the floor, but he catches me before I could even hit the ground. He hugs me to him as I continue to feel the pain.

Raiden's POV:

After Marie finishes telling me her story, I see her face go pale and tears running down her face. I then hear her scream in pain and fall to the floor, but I catch her before she even hit the ground. I hug her to me as she continues to cry out in pain. I rub her back and held her head to my chest as I whispered soothing words in her ear.

A few minutes later, I hear her stop crying out and just hear hiccups come from her. I gently push her back to see what caused her to cry out. But I see something completely shocking me to my core. I see her normal ears are not there anymore and instead see cat-like ears on top of her head.

I then look into her eye and see her pupil are not the normal human ones anymore also, they went into cat slits.

Callista's POV:

After the pain went away, I feel Dad gently push me away from him. I then see his face go completely in shock.

"What is it, Dad! You look like you've seen a ghost or something?"-Me (Confused)

"Marie, you have cat ears and your eyes are slits."-Dad (Surprised)

"WHAT!"-Me (Surprised)

I quickly grab my phone and tap my camera app on it. I change to selfie mode to see my eyes are indeed cat-like, but not slits. They are super wide when I then look on top of my head. I see two cat-like ears on top. But my goggles were bugging my new ears, so I move them around my neck. I then feel something sharp in my mouth and open my mouth too. I see my incisors are sharp again like cats. I put my phone back into my pocket and he helped me get up off the floor.

Once we are off the floor, I feel my pants are too tight around my the area of my tailbone.

"Hey Dad, can you turn around for me, I need to check something really quick."-Me

Dad nods head and does what I ask him.

With his back to me, I raise my skirt up in the back and lower my leggings down a little. I try grabbing the item making my tailbone feel weird, but notice I have a tail too.

So I put my legging back to where they were at originally and grab my knife to cut a small slit in my leggings for my tail to fit through. I put my index and thumb in the slot, grab my tail and pull it through. I then put my knife back into its sheath and lower my skirt back down.

"It's okay for you to turn back around Dad."-Me

He nods and does. But when he did, he notices my tail. When he takes a closer look at the pattern on my tail, he notices something about it.

"Doktor, can you check something really quick for me?"-Dad

After he said this, I quickly put on my goggles on as Doktor's screen comes up.

"What is it, Raiden? What do you need me to look up for you? Ahh. Kind (Child-German) what has happened to you?"-Doktor (Confused tone)

"This is the reason why I want you to check the blood results on Marie from when she was in her coma. I have a hunch on something and need to know if it is correct or not."-Dad

I grabbed Dad's hand as Doktor scavenge for the said item he asked him to look for.

"Ah ha! I found it. Well, that's weird! The results say her blood has something in it like something mutated with her DNA. I will do a further examination of this little problem."-Doktor

"Thanks, Doktor. Try and figure out what DNA mutated with her DNA. But I have a feeling I already know what the DNA is."-Dad

"I will be right on it, Raiden. But it would be a little impossible right now since I'm on my way to you two now. I will look up this when I get back to my labs."-Doktor

"Oh, it reminds me. Doktor you won't have to make any new upgrades for me with my little furry problem, but I do know someone who can."-Me

"Alright kind, Raiden. I will talk to you both later."-Doktor

Both Dad and I nod, saying our goodbyes. I then put my goggles back on my neck as I grab my phone out. I dial a very familiar number, it rings a few times before the person picks up.

"Hey, big sis. How are things with you. I haven't heard from you in a while."-Female voice

"Hey Sunny. Pretty good. Hey, I got a little favor to ask of you? How well are you on making human prosthetic limbs and then making them transform into animal limbs?"-Me

"I am pretty good. Why do you ask?"-Sunny

"I'll send you a picture, but don't freak out, okay."-Me

I put her on speakerphone as I activate the camera and take a selfie of my look. I send it to her, telling her they're not fake.

"OH, MY GOD! Are you serious, those are real? Those ears can't be real."-Sunny

"Yes they're real and they're ringing because of your yelling. I'm having Doktor run some blood tests, I have given him a while back to see what cat species my DNA has mutated with."-Me

"Wow, this is a lot to comprehend around. But you better text me the exact species of cat you are."-Sunny

"Hey Sunny, try searching on the internet of big wild cats. You might find your answer that way."-Dad

"Hey, Raiden. I will do it really quick before I start making the blueprints on your prosthetic limbs, big sis."-Sunny

"Sound good, Sunny. I'll talk to you later then, little sis. I love you."-Me

"Love you too, big sis. I will text you the blueprints when I'm finished with them."-Sunny

"Actually why don't you surprise me, when I see you."-Me

"Sound better. Saves me more time to make them perfect. I will start working on them right away. Bye guys."-Sunny

"Bye Sunny."-Dad and I

I hang up with Sunny and put my phone away. I look towards Dad and move my head to the side.

"This will take awhile to get used to."-Dad and I (Same time)

We both chuckle and head into the World Marshal building.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
